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Gary McKinnon wins another reprieve with judicial review

NASA Hacker Gary McKinnon has won another reprieve in his battle to avoid extradition to the US to face hacking charges.

By Nicole Kobie, 13 Jan 2010 at 17:18

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The saga of Gary McKinnon is set to continue, as his lawyer has won the right to a High Court review of his pending extradition to the US to stand trial for hacking charges.

The judicial review will examine Home Secretary Alan Johnson's claim that he could not intervene in the case and prevent the extradition.

While McKinnon admits hacking into Pentagon and NASA computers, he denies the level of damage claimed and is said to be at risk of suicide because of his Asperger's Syndrome.

The judicial review will consider if Johnson's decision not to halt the extradition was correct. It is set to take place in April or May, with McKinnon allowed to stay in the UK until then.

McKinnon's lawyer Karen Todner said in a statement: "I would urge Mr Johnson to review his decision, and I appeal to [American President Barack] Obama to withdraw the application for extradition. Mr McKinnon's suffering has gone on long enough."

McKinnon's mother Janis Sharp expressed her relief over Twitter. "We're so pleased and the sense of relief is indescribable," she wrote, later adding: "Couldn't stop crying when heard the news. Gary says he's still in shock."

Sharp and McKinnon's other supporters are currently running a texting and download campaign to put pressure on the Government.

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3 comments

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The 52nd state?

How will the UK in the end respond to the USA for AFAIK we are the undeclared 52nd state of theirs? I mean when Alabama (if I recall) had quibbles about alcohol drinking age the Federal Government cut off their road funding for that year. Now what will the US do to the UK if we don't do 'as they say'?

Michael

By searcher_n3 on Thursday Jan 14

Under the thumb

Tony Blair sold the British people down the river with this extradtion treaty. It's totally one sided. The US snap their fingers and one of us is sent over there. Try extraditing a US citizen! I don't have time for hackers and I'm not anti-American but the governments duty is to it's own citiens first and allies second.

By RussV on Friday Jan 15

Yet more money ...

... for the legal industry!
Most of the comments on this story are either:
1 complaints about the extradition treaty wth the US;
2 playing the Aspergers card.
Well
1 if you don't like the treaty, write to your MP, newspapers, television; campaign to get it changed;
2 his Aspergers can't be too serious as it was only diagnosed after he committed the acts, and was convicted.
His lawyer says "Mr McKinnon's suffering has gone on long enough". Why then is she prolonging it? The case has been refused twice already. Let him go to stand trial.
The only winners here are the legal industry. And who is paying them?

By KeyWorker on Friday Jan 15

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