May accused over extradition issues

Former home secretary David Blunkett, who signed the Extradition Act and has admitted he may have "given too much away" to the Americans, said sensible discussions with the UK's partners could resolve "any irritants quite speedily".

The review follows widespread concern that the system is biased against Britain and comes after a series of high-profile cases, including that of Gary McKinnon, the alleged hacker who has been fighting extradition to the US for years.

It will consider whether the treaty between the United States and the UK is "unbalanced" and will also look at the breadth of the Home Secretary's discretion to intervene in cases.

The review, which will be conducted by a small panel of experts to be selected by the Home Office, will also look at whether judges should be given the power to bar extradition and deal with some cases in the UK courts.

It will also look at the operation of the European Arrest Warrant and the way in which its optional safeguards have been transposed into UK law.

Concerns that the US-UK treaty was "lopsided" and fears that Britons were being parcelled off to foreign lands without due process have been highlighted by a series of high-profile cases in recent years.

But Mr Blunkett said the announcement of the scope for the review "appears to kick these issues into the long grass" as it will not report until the end of next summer.

"Sensible discussions with our partners could resolve any irritants quite speedily, including a de minimis bar to extradition for offences which would not constitute cause for a prison sentence here in the UK," he said.

"Extradition is as crucial to us as it is to other free countries with functioning judicial systems," he added.