Relevant authorities
48 In Harris (at 389) the court identified the following four-stage process in extradition proceedings:
(1) commencement by issue of a provisional arrest warrant under s 12(1) or a notice under s 16(1);
(2) the appearance before a magistrate (where the person would be remanded in custody or bailed);
(3) section 19 proceedings; and
(4) an executive determination that the person be surrendered.
49 In Kainhofer, the plurality (Brennan CJ, Dawson and McHugh JJ) set out a "brief conspectus of the Act" (at 533-538) which, given the centrality of Kainhofer to this case, I set out in full as follows:
Section 3 of the Act states its principal objects to be the codification of the law "relating to the extradition of persons from Australia to extradition countries and New Zealand", the facilitation of the making of requests by Australia to other countries for extradition and the enabling of Australia to carry out its obligations under extradition treaties. The Republic of Austria is an extradition country. In construing the Act in conformity with its declared objects, terms which relate to the criminal procedure of other countries should not be so interpreted as to confine the reach of the Act to cases in which a step in the foreign procedure accords precisely with a step in the procedure of Australian courts.
When an extradition country seeks the extradition of a person from Australia, it must invoke the powers of a magistrate under s 12(1) of the Act and of the Attorney-General under s 16 of the Act. Under s 12(1), an application, in statutory form, must be made to a magistrate for the issue of a warrant for the arrest of that person. The form of application for a warrant of arrest (form 4) prescribes that an affidavit be annexed setting out information showing that the person is "an extraditable person for the purposes of that Act in relation to" the country seeking extradition. The term "extraditable person" is defined by s 6 of the Act:
"Where:
(a) either:
(i) a warrant is or warrants are in force for the arrest of a person in relation to an offence or offences against the law of a country that the person is accused of having committed either before or after the commencement of this Act; or
(ii) a person has been convicted of an offence or offences against the law of a country either before or after the commencement of this Act and:
(A) there is an intention to impose a sentence on the person as a consequence of the conviction; or
(B) the whole or a part of a sentence imposed on the person as a consequence of the conviction remains to be served;
(b) the offence or any of the offences is an extradition offence in relation to the country; and
(c) the person is believed to be outside the country;
the person is, for the purposes of this Act, an extraditable person in relation to the country."
If the magistrate is satisfied, on the basis of information given by the affidavit, that the person is an extraditable person in relation to the extradition country, the magistrate is required to issue a warrant for the arrest of the person and to send forthwith to the Attorney-General a report of the issue of the warrant together with a copy of the affidavit (s 12(1)(b),(2)).
The Attorney-General's powers are enlivened by the receipt of an extradition request (s 16(1)). The action to be taken by the Attorney-General if extradition is to proceed is the issuing of a written notice directed to a magistrate stating that the request has been received. Section 16(2) prescribes the conditions governing the Attorney-General's power to give the notice (hereafter the "s 16 notice"). That sub-section provides:
"The Attorney-General shall not give the notice:
(a) unless the Attorney-General is of the opinion:
(i) that the person is an extraditable person in relation to the extradition country; and
(ii) that, if the conduct of the person constituting the extradition offence, or any of the extradition offences, for which surrender of the person is sought, or equivalent conduct, had taken place in Australia at the time at which the extradition request was received, the conduct or the equivalent conduct would have constituted an extradition offence in relation to Australia; or
(b) if the Attorney-General is of the opinion that there is an extradition objection in relation to the extradition offence, or all of the extradition offences, for which surrender of the person is sought."
The Attorney-General may receive an extradition request either before or after the person whose extradition is sought is arrested pursuant to the magistrate's warrant. If the Attorney-General decides before the arrest not to issue a s 16 notice, he directs the magistrate to cancel the warrant (s 12(3)). But if the person has been arrested under the warrant and is remanded in custody or on bail, as provided for by s 15, and the Attorney-General decides not to issue a s 16 notice, he directs the magistrate to release the person from custody or discharge the recognisances on which bail was granted (s 17(1)). Where the Attorney-General issues a s 16 notice and the person has been arrested pursuant to the magistrate's warrant and has been remanded either in custody or on bail, the extradition procedure follows one of two paths: either the person consents to being surrendered under s 18 or proceedings are conducted by a magistrate under s 19.
Where the person consents to being surrendered and the procedure prescribed by s 18 is followed, a warrant is issued committing that person to prison to await surrender or release pursuant to a further determination by the Attorney-General under s 22. Where the person does not consent, he is remanded in custody or on bail pending the conduct of proceedings under s 19. The function of a magistrate who conducts proceedings under s 19 (hereafter a "s 19 magistrate") is in issue in this appeal. Section 19 provides, inter alia, as follows:
"(1) Where:
(a) a person is on remand under section 15;
(b) the Attorney-General has given a notice under subsection 16(1) in relation to the person;
(c) an application is made to a magistrate by or on behalf of the person or the extradition country concerned for proceedings to be conducted in relation to the person under this section; and
(d) the magistrate considers that the person and the extradition country have had reasonable time in which to prepare for the conduct of such proceedings;
the magistrate shall conduct proceedings to determine whether the person is eligible for surrender in relation to the extradition offence or extradition offences for which surrender of the person is sought by the extradition country.
(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), the person is only eligible for surrender in relation to an extradition offence for which surrender of the person is sought by the extradition country if:
(a) the supporting documents in relation to the offence have been produced to the magistrate;
(b) where this Act applies in relation to the extradition country subject to any limitations, conditions, exceptions or qualifications that require the production to the magistrate of any other documents - those documents have been produced to the magistrate;
(c) the magistrate is satisfied that, if the conduct of the person constituting the offence in relation to the extradition country, or equivalent conduct, had taken place in the part of Australia where the proceedings are being conducted and at the time at which the extradition request in relation to the person was received, that conduct or that equivalent conduct would have constituted an extradition offence in relation to that part of Australia; and
(d) the person does not satisfy the magistrate that there are substantial grounds for believing that there is an extradition objection in relation to the offence.
(3) In paragraph (2)(a), 'supporting documents', in relation to an extradition offence, means:
(a) if the offence is an offence of which the person is accused - a duly authenticated warrant issued by the extradition country for the arrest of the person for the offence, or a duly authenticated copy of such a warrant;
(b) if the offence is an offence of which the person has been convicted - such duly authenticated documents as provide evidence of:
(i) the conviction;
(ii) the sentence imposed or the intention to impose a sentence; and
(iii) the extent to which a sentence imposed has not been carried out; and
(c) in any case:
(i) a duly authenticated statement in writing setting out a description of, and the penalty applicable in respect of, the offence; and
(ii) a duly authenticated statement in writing setting out the conduct constituting the offence."
Where the s 19 magistrate determines that the person is eligible for surrender to the extradition country in relation to one or more extradition offences, a warrant is issued committing the person to prison "to await surrender under a surrender warrant or temporary surrender warrant or release pursuant to an order under subsection 22(5)" (s 19(9)) - that is, surrender or release pursuant to a determination by the Attorney-General under s 22. If the s 19 magistrate determines that the person is not eligible for surrender, the person is released and the Attorney-General is notified (s 19(10)). Provision is made by s 21 for judicial review of the s 19 magistrate's order. This was the provision which conferred the jurisdiction exercised by White J at first instance.
A s 19 magistrate must be satisfied that the conditions of jurisdiction prescribed by sub-s (1) are satisfied. Then consideration must be given to the compliance of the supporting documents with the requirements of sub-s (2)(a) and (b). The character of "the conduct of the person constituting the offence ... or equivalent conduct" must be ascertained under sub-s (2)(c). And, finally, the magistrate must decide whether the person has shown any substantial grounds for believing that there is an extradition objection in relation to the offence: sub-s (2)(d). The term "extradition objection" is defined by s 7.
When a person has been committed to prison pursuant to a magistrate's determination under s 19(9), that person becomes an "eligible person" within the definition of that term in s 22(1) and is eligible for surrender. As soon as is reasonably practicable after the eligible person's committal, the Attorney-General is required by s 22(2) to "determine whether the person is to be surrendered". The Attorney-General is authorised to issue a surrender warrant only if the conditions prescribed by s 22(3) are satisfied. These conditions include:
"(a) the Attorney-General is satisfied that there is no extradition objection in relation to the offence;"
and
"(f) the Attorney-General, in his or her discretion, considers that the person should be surrendered in relation to the offence."
If any of the conditions prescribed by s 22(3) is not satisfied, the Attorney-General orders the release of the person.
(footnotes omitted)
50 In Kainhofer, the High Court allowed an appeal from the decision of the Full Federal Court. The Full Court quashed the order of a s 19 magistrate, who found that the respondent, Ms Kainhofer, was eligible for surrender to Austria, the extradition country, in relation to four alleged offences and committed her to prison to await the Attorney-General's decision whether to surrender or release her. Ms Kainhofer contended that she was not "accused" of any of the four offences.
51 The Full Court found that the overriding impression was that the case against Ms Kainhofer in Austria had not proceeded beyond the investigation stage. It held that the magistrate's decision could not have been properly made unless he were satisfied, in accordance with s 19(2)(a) and (3)(a) of the Act, that the supporting documents provided for Ms Kainhofer's arrest as a person accused of the offences to which the warrant referred (at 533).
52 On appeal, the High Court unanimously held that the approach of the Full Court was based on an erroneous construction of s 19 in the context of the Act.
53 The plurality (Brennan CJ, Dawson and McHugh JJ) set out the "brief conspectus of the Act" set out above.
54 The plurality then stated (at 538):
No person is liable to be taken into custody under the Act unless a magistrate is satisfied, on the basis of the information contained in the affidavit supporting the application for the arrest of that person, that the person is an extraditable person. But the power of a s 19 magistrate does not extend to the reviewing of the satisfaction of the original magistrate or of the opinion of the Attorney-General as to whether the person is an extraditable person. The powers conferred by the Act, other than those conferred on a court by s 21, are administrative in nature. They are exercisable by different repositories in sequence, but none of them authorises the repository of a power to review the exercise of a power by another repository earlier in the sequence.
55 The plurality (at 538) acknowledged that the same or similar issues could arise for independent determination by the respective repositories of powers where the same or similar issue conditions applied to the exercise of their powers (eg, whether there is an extradition objection is considered by the Attorney-General in relation to a s 16 notice, the s 19 magistrate and again by the Attorney-General under s 22(3)). Their Honours made clear that such bodies always considered the relevant issue independently, rather than reviewing the decision made by another repository of power.
56 The plurality stated (at 538-540):
The question whether a person is accused of having committed an offence in relation to which a warrant for the person's arrest has been issued by an extradition country is addressed by a magistrate under s 12(1) and by the Attorney-General under s 16 in considering whether the person is an extraditable person. The state of mind which is formed on that issue by those officers is not reviewable by a s 19 magistrate. Of course, prohibition or mandamus may go to an officer of the Commonwealth who exercises power under the Act but the amenability of decisions under ss 12(1) and 16 to judicial review does not expose those decisions to review by a magistrate who conducts administrative proceedings under s 19. Nor does sub-s (2)(a) in conjunction with sub-s (3)(a) of s 19 make the accusation of the person whose surrender is sought a condition affecting any power conferred by that section. The s 19 magistrate is neither required nor authorised to determine the issue whether that person is an extraditable person.
The authority of a magistrate to conduct proceedings under s 19 depends on the matters specified in sub-s (1) including the making of an order of remand under s 15 and the giving of a s 16 notice. Lacking any power to review those decisions, a s 19 magistrate must proceed on the footing that the order and the notice, if not invalid ex facie, were validly made. Treating the order of remand and the giving of the notice as valid, the s 19 magistrate must proceed on the footing that the person whose surrender is sought is an extraditable person and that the case falls within either par (a)(i) or par (a)(ii) of s 6. It would be a curious interpretation of s 19 to attribute to a s 19 magistrate the power to find that the person is not an extraditable person when the s 19 magistrate's authority depends on the contrary hypothesis. In the administrative sequence, that issue is committed only to the consideration of the magistrate under s 12(1) and the Attorney-General under s 16.
The function of the s 19 magistrate under sub-s (2)(a) of s 19 is concerned solely with the correspondence between the "supporting documents in relation to the offence" produced to the magistrate and the description of "supporting documents" in sub-s (3). The "offence" referred to in sub-s (2)(a) is the offence referred to in sub-s (1), namely, "the extradition offence or extradition offences for which surrender of the person is sought by the extradition country". Given that the person is an extraditable person, "the offence" in s 19(2)(a) must be taken to be either an offence "that the person is accused of having committed" or an offence of which the "person has been convicted". The introductory words of sub-s (3)(a) and (b) merely direct the s 19 magistrate to the relevant description to be applied to the supporting documents in the case of the particular extraditable person who is the subject of the s 19 proceedings. The relevant direction is obtained by the s 19 magistrate by reference to whatever material is produced. If that material does not include supporting documents that answer one of the categories of documents described in sub-s (3), the requirement of sub-s (2)(a) is not satisfied; if there be supporting documents that answer the description in one of those categories, the requirement of sub-s (2)(a) is satisfied.
In the present case, the only issue for determination under s 19(2)(a) was whether the document produced was a duly authenticated warrant or copy warrant issued by the Republic of Austria for the arrest of the respondent for an extradition offence for which the surrender of the respondent was sought by the Republic of Austria. That issue did not require a finding as to whether the respondent was a person "accused".
It follows that the Federal Court was in error in considering whether the s 19 magistrate could properly have found that the respondent had been "accused" of any of the four offences in relation to which the magistrate held the respondent to be eligible for surrender. It is unnecessary to decide whether the Federal Court was itself in error in the meaning which it attributed to "accused" or in the effect which it attributed to the warrant for the arrest of the respondent issued by the Salzburg State Court in the Republic of Austria. It is sufficient to say that, in considering whether a person is an extraditable person under s 6(a)(i) of the Act, it is necessary to bear in mind the statutory object of enabling Australia to carry out its obligations under extradition treaties with countries that adopt a variety of criminal procedures different from our own.
57 Toohey J agreed with the plurality but delivered a separate judgment in which he stated (at 541):
As their Honours conclude, in reaching a decision as to a person's eligibility for surrender under s 19 of the Act, a magistrate is not required to determine whether the person is an "extraditable person" within s 6 of the Act. A determination of that question only arises when, as a first step in the extradition process, a magistrate is called upon to issue a provisional arrest warrant under s 12 and when the Attorney-General has given notice pursuant to s 16 that an extradition request from an extradition country has been received.
58 Toohey J noted that the scope for challenging a decision of the s 19 magistrate was very limited and (at 541) stated that:
The respondent argued that only if she was "accused" could the magistrate determine that the requirements of s 19(3)(a) had been met and that therefore whether she was "accused" was necessarily a matter to be determined by the magistrate. But, as their Honours show, this is to read too much into s 19. The introductory words in s 19(3)(a) and (b) are classificatory rather than having an operative effect. The requirement that a person is an extraditable person, involving as it does a conclusion that the person is "accused" of having committed an offence against the law of a country, is spelled out in ss 12 and 16 but not in s 19. In those former sections no provision is made for judicial review and as already noted the AD(JR) Act has no application to a decision made under those sections. The magistrate's function under s 12 is limited in so far as he or she is required to be satisfied "on the basis of information given by affidavit" that the person is an extraditable person.
It has been said that a feature of the Act is "a substantial shift away from judicial review of the extradition process towards the exercise of unreviewable executive discretion". The comment has force.
59 Gummow J also allowed the appeal. His Honour stated (at 552):
Both the Attorney-General and the magistrate, when respectively giving notice under s 16 and issuing a provisional arrest warrant under s 12, were obliged to consider whether the person was an extraditable person in relation to the extradition country. That requirement, spelled out in the text of ss 12 and 16, is not repeated in s 19(2).
There must also be produced to the magistrate "supporting documents in relation to the offence" (s 19(2)(a)) and such other documents as required to satisfy any limitation, condition, exception or qualification subject to which the Act applies in relation to the extradition country (s 19(2)(b)); nothing turns upon par (b) for the purposes of this appeal. The term used in s 19(2)(a), "supporting documents", has the meaning spelled out in s 19(3). This identifies in pars (a), (b) and (c) respectively three classes of documents which were "duly authenticated". A document which is sought by and on behalf of the extradition country to be admitted in the proceedings will be "duly authenticated" if it complies with s 19(7). The magistrate may adjourn the proceedings in the circumstances prescribed in s 19(4) to allow remedy of deficiency in documents produced.
60 In Parker, the Full Court allowed the appeal of the extradition country from the decision of a judge, who, in a review under s 21 of the Act, quashed the s 19 magistrate's decision that the person on remand was eligible for surrender, on the ground that the extradition request had not complied with the terms of the applicable treaty. The Full Court referred at length to Kainhofer and Papazoglou v Republic of Philippines (1997) 74 FCR 108; 144 ALR 42. The Full Court held that as the s 19 magistrate had no jurisdiction to consider whether all available information had accompanied the extradition request as required by the treaty, his finding on that issue was not subject to review under s 21 of the Act.
61 The Full Court in Parker rejected Mr Parker's contention that a s 19 magistrate was not entitled to infer that he was the person referred to in the extradition request. The Full Court stated (at 344):
It is our view, as already stated, that Kainhofer must be taken to have decided that it is not for the s 19 magistrate to determine this question but for the Attorney-General when he determines that the respondent is an extraditable person (see 538-539). Furthermore, the respondent's counsel conceded before the primary judge that "the applicant admits he is called George Parker. The applicant also acknowledges that he has lawfully changed his name in Australia on three occasions and has lawfully obtained Australian passports in those names and to an extent those concessions of course coincide with the information contained in the documents in the extradition request". In any event the magistrate had photographs of the respondent in his papers and was well able to assess for himself whether the person sought by those photographs was or was likely to be the respondent.
62 The Full Court in Parker acknowledged that the respondent's identification as the person named in the overseas warrant and the s 12 warrant was a matter for the s 15 magistrate. It stated that Kainhofer precluded the s 19 magistrate from determining whether the respondent was the person referred to in the extradition request.
63 The Full Court observed, that late in the proceedings, the question arose whether the s 19 magistrate was obliged to determine whether the respondent was, in fact, the person named in the warrant pursuant to which he was arrested, remanded and brought before the magistrate.
64 The Full Court stated (at 343-344):
In our view, this was not a matter that the magistrate was required to determine. As appears from the authorities cited, it had already been determined at earlier stages in the procedures that the respondent was an "extraditable person". This would necessarily have involved a finding that he was the person named in the warrant. Although the s 12 warrant was issued on affidavit evidence only, the respondent, as a result of his arrest on that warrant, was brought before a magistrate for the purpose of his being dealt with under s 15 of the Act, that is by being remanded on bail or in custody pending the hearing under s 19 or his otherwise being dealt with as a result of the exercise of discretion by the Attorney-General pursuant to ss 16 and 17 of the Act. The identity of the respondent with the person named in the overseas warrant and the s 12 warrant would necessarily have been a matter for the magistrate exercising powers under s 15. In our view, there was no requirement imposed upon the s 19 magistrate to consider that question afresh. That is not to say that he would not have been obliged to consider that question if the respondent had specifically stated that he denied that he was the person whose extradition was sought. In such circumstances, the requirements of natural justice might well have necessitated a determination by the magistrate of that issue. However, this did not arise in the present case and we say no more about it.
65 In Von Arnim, Sundberg J stated that the s 19 magistrate had to be satisfied that the person before him was the person named in the warrant, but observed that in the case before him, there was ample evidence of that fact (at [14]).
66 The applicant relied on the submission by the Attorney-General's Department to the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties Inquiry into Australia's Extradition Law, Policy and Practice, which addressed the s 19 magistrate's role under the Act. The submission relevantly stated:
6.4 The Australian position
6.4.1 The magistrate's role
6.4.1.1 The 1985 amendments to the Australian Acts (corresponding to s. 19(5) of the 1988 Act) ensured that magistrates acted in accordance with the United States and Canadian common law position outlined above. They represent a move away from the United Kingdom position, but because both positions stem from the same underlying concept of the role of the extradition hearing the practical difference is not great.
6.4.1.2 The role of the magistrate is to determine whether the documents that are produced to him or her are sufficient to satisfy him or her that the fugitive is liable to be surrendered. This does not mean that the fugitive cannot produce any evidence to the magistrate. The magistrate must receive evidence from the fugitive going to the issues raised by certain of the provisions of the legislation which relate to liability to surrender. These include evidence that:
(a) the person is not the person named in the foreign warrants and request (by this means evidence in the nature of an alibi, which would not be admissible for the purpose of contradicting the allegations by the requesting country, can be introduced in some circumstances);
(b) the offence alleged, or the conviction recorded, was not in respect of an extraditable offence;
(c) the documents tendered in support of the request are not in proper form or are incomplete;
(d) the offence alleged, or the conviction recorded, is in respect of an offence of a political character or that the requisition for surrender was in fact made with a view to try to punish the person for an offence of a political character;
(e) the speciality requirements are not satisfied;
(f) the person has been acquitted or pardoned or has already undergone the punishment provided for the offence alleged in the request;
(g) there are substantial grounds for believing that the request for extradition was in fact made for the purpose of prosecuting or punishing the person on account of his race, religion, nationality or political opinions or that, if surrendered, the person may be prejudiced at his trial or punished, detained or restricted in his personal liberty by reason of his race, religion, nationality or political opinions.
6.4.1.3 Other matters may be the subject of evidence properly adduced by a fugitive. These matters fundamentally fall within the category of additional mandatory safeguards contained in Australia's modern extradition treaties and include for example:
(a) that the intended prosecution is statute barred;
(b) that the offence alleged, or conviction recorded, is in respect of a purely military offence not known to the ordinary criminal law; and
(c) that, if surrendered, the person would be liable to be tried by, or liable to serve a sentence already imposed by, an extraordinary or ad hoc tribunal.
6.4.1.4 None of the above matters "controvert an allegation that the person has committed an act or omission in respect of which the surrender of the person is requested".
6.4.2 The Minister's role
6.4.2.1 Despite the limitations applicable to the extradition hearing, the Minister is required under Australian law to take into account any representations made by or on behalf of the fugitive. If, for example, a person were able to demonstrate that the allegations were completely false or that the prosecution was not instituted in good faith (the sorts of situation where defence evidence would be given significant weight in the United Kingdom), the Minister would take this into account. Australian extradition treaties generally require the Minister to consider whether, in the circumstances of the case, the extradition of the person would be unjust. The surrender determination is potentially subject to judicial review in an Australian court, which could overturn a capricious decision or one which failed to take account of relevant factors.
67 In Tervonen v Finland [2008] FCA 1133, the applicant, in an application under s 39B of the Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth), contended that an extradition request made by Finland was invalid because it did not comply with the extradition treaty between Australia and Finland. The Attorney-General had issued several notices pursuant to s 16 of the Act in respect of the request, the challenges to which were either unsuccessful or resolved.
68 The applicant contended that the extradition request and supporting material revealed that some of the warrants relied on by Finland were for his arrest for pre-trial investigation purposes, rather than for trial for offences.
69 Flick J dismissed the application. His Honour found that it was not open to the applicant to contend that Finland's request was not in respect of an offence or offences against the law of Finland within the meaning of, and for the purposes of, s 6(a)(i) of the Act. His Honour referred to Tervonen v Finland [2008] FCA 781, in which Gyles J stated, in reference to Kainhofer, at [24]:
It is not at all clear to me what meaning is to be given to the words "for the offence" in s 19(3)(a) in the light of the decision of the High Court. The submission for Finland reduces the content of s 19(3)(a) (and so s 19(2)(a)) to mere authentication of the warrant. So far as the substance of the warrant is concerned, all that is necessary is to tick off the offences against those in relation to which extradition is sought. It is difficult to discern any reason in principle why the opinion of the Attorney-General in relation to s 16(2)(a)(i) should not be examinable by the Magistrate where appropriate and yet the opinion in relation to s 16(2)(a)(ii) and s 16(2)(b) can be dealt with on the merits by the Magistrate notwithstanding the earlier opinion of the Attorney-General. It is even more difficult to understand why a magistrate's satisfaction in relation to a provisional arrest warrant pursuant to s 12 should decide the relevant issue to the exclusion of a magistrate pursuant to s 19 where appropriate. Neither the Attorney-General nor the first Magistrate has any better means of deciding the point than would be available to a properly instructed magistrate acting pursuant to s 19. However, I can see no escape from the conclusion that the decision of the High Court in Director of Public Prosections (Cth) v Kainhofer 185 CLR 528 does have the effect as submitted on behalf of Finland.
70 Flick J at [12] concurred with Gyles J's analysis of Kainhofer and his Honour's conclusions.