New Home Secretary not good news for McKinnon

 

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By Stuart Turton

Posted on 9 Jun 2009 at 08:55

The appointment of Alan Johnson as Home Secretary is unlikely to soften the Government's stance on Gary McKinnon's extradition to the US, according to his legal team.

Johnson took over the post from Jacqui Smith, who resigned on 3 June following criticism over her expenses claims. However, speaking to Zdnet.co.uk, McKinnon's lawyer, Karen Todner, claimed it was unlikely to change the Government's view on her client.

"I don't think it will make much difference, unless the new home secretary has a personal interest in the case," said Todner. "I'm not convinced Smith ever personally looked at the case - all of the responses [to McKinnon's appeals against extradition] were written by a lawyer."

McKinnon is due before the High Court this week for a judicial review of the original verdict to extradite him to the US. The review will determine whether his Asperger's syndrome was taken into account by any of the appeals bodies he has appeared before.

McKinnon is lobbying for a trial in the UK and has fought a long-running legal battle against extradition to the US, where he faces charges of hacking military networks an estimated 97 times between 2001 and 2002.