Extradition to United States stayed by European Court

On 10 May 2021, the European Court of Human Rights issued urgent interim relief prohibiting the United Kingdom government from extraditing Mr Singh to the United States. 

Mr Singh’s extradition is sought by the US authorities in relation to drugs offence conspiracies. If convicted, Mr Singh faces a possible sentence of life without parole.  

The UK courts had dismissed Mr Singh’s contention that the US sentence of life without parole was an inhuman and degrading sentence. The UK Courts had concluded that United States’ law provided for the possibility of release, and refused to follow the decision of the European Court in Trabelsi v Belgium to contrary effect.

The European Court has now issued interim measures staying Mr Singh’s extradition indefinitely until the European Court assesses for itself the correctness of Trabelsi, including whether US law provides an adequate possibility of release from a whole life sentence.  

Edward Fitzgerald Q.C. and Graeme Hall, instructed by Katy Smart of Sonn MacMillan Walker Solicitors, represent Mr Singh.