Consideration
27 In summary, Mr Taylor contends that special circumstances attendant upon his case are:
he has significant business interests in Australia requiring his attention;
he has a close knit family;
he has scrupulously adhered to previous bail conditions;
he has been co-operative with US authorities;
there has been considerable delay between the laying of charges in 2007 and the extradition proceedings in 2011.
28 I am satisfied from the evidence before the Court that Mr Taylor is indeed well-established in Australia with his family and his business interests, that he has sought to co-operate with US authorities in the past in relation to their investigations, and that he has previously adhered to bail conditions.
29 However I am not persuaded that Mr Taylor has demonstrated special circumstances supporting an order for bail pursuant to s 21(6)(f)(iv) of the Extradition Act. I am not persuaded that any of the factors upon which he relies, either individually or in combination, are in any way "different in kind from the disadvantages that all extradition defendants have to endure" (Cabal at 191). I note Mr Taylor's contentions in relation to the prospective damage to his business affairs should he remain in custody until review of the decision of the Magistrate, however such unfortunate consequences are potentially applicable to any person seeking bail pending review of a determination of extradition eligibility. I also note Mr Taylor's close family and friendship bonds in his place of residence, but again these advantages are not unusual in respect of applicants in his position, as is clear from such cases as Barney v United Kingdom, Haddad v Lyon and O'Donoghue v Ireland. The fact that Mr Taylor had co-operated with the US authorities prior to and following the indictment, while potentially testament to his good character, is not unusual or a "special circumstance": O'Donoghue v Ireland. Finally, the fact that there has been some delay between presentation of the indictment and the commencement of extradition proceedings in these proceedings, while unexplained, does not in my view constitute special circumstances supporting an order for bail under s 21(6)(f)(iv).
30 The first respondent also contends that Mr Taylor is a flight risk because, inter alia:
he has refused to surrender to the extradition request;
the charges are very serious, involving allegations of dishonest and deceitful conduct and personal gain, and potentially heavy penalties;
an inference may be drawn that Mr Taylor fled the United States to avoid justice because he was aware of the police investigation into the activities of his co-accused;
he has significant financial and property resources.
31 In my view, however, there is also compelling evidence that Mr Taylor co-operated extensively with the US authorities both before he left the United States and since charges were laid. Further, the fact that Mr Taylor has refused to surrender to the extradition request does not, in my view, support a claim that he is a flight risk - rather Mr Taylor is exercising his rights to challenge the decision of the Magistrate.
32 On balance however, the facts that Mr Taylor is relatively young, apparently healthy, facing serious penalties in the United States and apparently possessed of substantial resources support a finding that there is at least a slight risk of flight, whether within Australia or overseas. As Gleeson CJ, McHugh and Gummow JJ observed in Cabal at 189:
In a particular situation, the special circumstances may be so cogent that bail should be granted although there is a slight risk of flight. Nevertheless, to grant bail where there is a real risk of flight could only be justified in the most extraordinary circumstances. In the vast majority of cases, the proper exercise of discretion requires the refusal of bail if there is such a risk. To grant bail where a risk of flight exists is to jeopardise Australia's relationship with the country seeking extradition and to jeopardise our standing in the international community.
33 In this case there are no such cogent special circumstances warranting that bail should be granted.
34 Finally, I am not persuaded on the material before me that Mr Taylor has strong prospects of success in respect of his application for review of the Magistrate's decision. In Ngo v United States of America (2009) 177 FCR 411 Emmett J observed at [24]:
However, it is not necessary for the material before the Magistrate to be evidence sufficient to show a case against the person to be extradited. The description of the facts, by way of affidavit, statement or declaration, need do no more than set forth facts disclosing reasonable grounds for belief. The facts may include facts from which the reasonableness of the relevant belief can be established. A reasonable belief that an offence has been committed and that the person sought committed it might be based upon material falling well short of that required to be tendered to prove a prima facie case. A description of the facts requires no more than a verbal portrait of the facts that sets forth reasonable grounds for believing that an offence has been committed and that the person whose extradition has been sought committed it (Hermanowski v United States of America (2006) 149 FCR 93 at [58]-[59]).
35 In the same decision Graham J explained:
51 It will be appreciated that the [Extradition] Act applied in relation to the United States subject to the Treaty and the limitations, conditions, exceptions and qualifications contained therein that required the United States request for extradition of the appellant for prosecution to be supported by a description of the facts, by way of affidavit, statement or declaration, setting forth reasonable grounds for believing that an offence had been committed and that the appellant committed it (see Article XI(3)(c) of the Treaty).
52 By virtue of s 19(2) of the Act the appellant was only eligible for surrender in relation to the extradition offence for which his surrender was sought if the relevant documents satisfying Article XI(3)(c) were produced to the second respondent.
53 The documents required by Article XI(3)(c) of the Treaty are directed to establishing, in the case of a person who has been charged, that the charge was properly laid (see Hermanowski at [48]).
54 The requirement of Article XI(3)(c) is that the request for extradition be supported by a description of the facts setting forth reasonable grounds for believing that an offence has been committed and that the person whose extradition is sought, committed it. The requisite belief must be that of a reasonable person in the position of the magistrate, i.e. the question should be viewed objectively and not subjectively (see Hermanowski at [55]).
55 The expression 'by way of affidavit, statement or declaration' indicates the vehicles that may be employed to describe the facts setting forth reasonable grounds for believing that an offence has been committed and that the person whose extradition is sought committed it. The alternatives of affidavit, statement and declaration indicate that the requirement imposed by Article XI(3)(c) may be met with some, but not strict, solemnity (see Hermanowski at [57]).
56 Article XI(3)(c) requires something different from that which is required by Article XI(2)(b). The key to the difference lies in the nature of the 'facts' to be described. The 'facts' referred to in Article XI(3)(c) are not necessarily restricted to the 'facts' constituting the alleged criminal conduct, but may include facts from the which the reasonableness of the relevant belief can be established. Those facts may include the state of the investigations conducted up to and including that time. This reflects the circumstance that a reasonable belief that an offence has been committed and that the person sought committed it might be based upon material falling well short of that required to be tendered to prove a prima facie case, as had formerly been required by the Treaty. When a wider view of the relevant facts is taken, the apparent ellipsis in the provision disappears. The 'facts', as so understood, would, and should, include facts disclosing the reasonable grounds for belief (see Hermanowski at [58]).
57 A 'description of the facts' requires no more than a verbal portrait of the facts. The sufficiency of that portrait will be determined by questioning whether it sets forth reasonable grounds for believing that an offence has been committed and that the person whose extradition has been sought committed it. 'Setting forth' should be treated as equivalent to 'that would, if correct, provide' (per Hermanowski at [59]).
58 A clear distinction is to be drawn between a description of the facts that would, if correct, establish a prima facie case, that would, if correct, provide reasonable grounds for believing that an offence has been committed and that would, if correct, provide reasonable grounds for suspecting that an offence has been committed. Remembering that eligibility for surrender is to be determined without determining the guilt or innocence of the person whose extradition is sought, the description of the facts need not descend to the detail of how the facts will be proved (see Hermanowski at [60]).
59 Article XI(3)(c) of the Treaty will be satisfied if the description of the facts provides reasonable grounds for the requisite belief, in this case an inclination of the mind towards the proposition that the relevant offence has been committed and that the appellant committed it. This would be sufficient even if the description of the facts fell short of proof. Article XI(3)(c) does not mandate either that there must be an explanation of the facts sufficient to demonstrate reasonable grounds for believing that an offence has been committed and that the person whose extradition has been sought committed it, that the intended witnesses for the prosecution be identified, that their availability to give evidence be confirmed and their likely evidence be specified, or that there must be disclosure of material from which an assessment may be made of the quality of the evidence to be called to prove the facts described. Such material may, but need not necessarily, be provided (see Hermanowski at [61]-[62]).
36 In his decision of 4 April 2012 (United States of America v James Scott Taylor MAG 173218/11(7) Magistrates Court at Southport) the Magistrate carefully explained the applicable legislative provisions and relevant cases, and considered in great detail the submissions of counsel and the material upon which the first respondent relied for the order of extradition. The Magistrate then concluded:
[17] … I have come to the conclusion that the affidavit of Mr Flynn gives a detailed explanation and summary of the involvement of Mr Taylor in relation to each of the Counts on the Indictment.
[18] In my view upon reading the affidavits of Kirsch and Flynn there is sufficient evidence linking Mr Taylor to the commission of each of the offences contained in the indictment. I come to this conclusion bearing in mind the caution that needs to be exercised in relation to the nature and quality of any hearsay evidence relied upon by the Applicant. The affidavits have exhaustively set out a very detailed summary of the facts.
[19] Mr Chowdhury used the expression that "more than ample evidence has been provided to make the necessary findings" or words to that effect on several occasions during the hearing. The test to apply is less than prima facie. I have an inclination of mind that the offences have been committed and that the Respondent committed them.
[20] I am satisfied that the Applicant has discharged its onus to satisfy me to the requisite standard that the supporting documents in relation to the offences have been produced to this Court. I am satisfied that I have before me a description of the conduct constituting the offences and a description of the facts, by way of affidavit, statement or declaration, setting forth reasonable grounds for believing that offences have been committed and that the person sought to be extradited committed them.
37 In light of the careful consideration of the case by the Magistrate and the conclusions reached by his Honour, I am not persuaded for the purposes of this hearing that the Magistrate failed to properly apply principles as articulated in decisions such as Ngo and Hermanowski, as submitted by Mr Taylor.