Gary McKinnon (ASD computer hacker) extradition to US blocked by Theresa May

[LittenTree]

about time, too

As I understand it, the statute of limitations prevents a case being broughtin the UK as time ran out 3 years ago.

On a criminal case? Our Limitation Act applies to civil claims.

My question is why doesn't he have employment in computer security? To beat hackers you have to think like a hacker and this guy would be perfect for telling companies how to clean up their security since he would know how to circumvent it.

Bless his mum what a bloody relief! But I was shocked to realise that apparently this has been hanging over their headds for 10 years!

So pleased that someone has finally seen sense and stopped this awful circus of legal arguments. I don't think Gary McKinnon is ever going to recover from this, but to have this threat removed must make such a huge difference to him and his family.

I feel so torn - Theresa May is determined to get rid of the Human Rights Act, yet it's the HRA that's prevented the extradition from going ahead. Would be interesting to hear her thoughts on the HRA now.

But he's still going to be tried, and he might be sent to a UK prison. I imagine prison anywhere must be especially difficult for someone with aspergers.

i hate the thought of him going to prison anywhere. my DS, also wiht AS is a whiz with computers - doing a degree now in computer science. its his passion. i think he speaks to computers like its a language - he learned to program at 11. taught himself.

i have also wondered why no one snaps up Gary, with his obvious genius with a pc.....i think prison would be a huge huge mistake for him.

i see it all the time - kids with SN going into the system - its all wrong. an aspie on prison would be a sitting duck. dreadful.

lets hope someone else sees sense pretty quick. im just so glad he isnt going to the US. his mum must be so so relieved.

i was shocked at Alan Johnson and David Blunkett.

I think it was the right decision that should have made a long time ago but it was interesting listening to them discussing it on PM earlier in relation to the other men that were extradited a couple of weeks ago. Had the rules been changed then, they couldn't have been extradited either. I remember watching an interview with Babar Ahmad on Newsnight a while ago and the charges against him are very very flimsy, yet they let him be sent to the states.

Why make this decision now to change the law? Absolutely Gary Mckinnon shouldn't have gone, but they probably neither should the others (and I'm not talking about Abu Hamza of course), especially as I believe one of the other two men also has Aspergers.

Well done Theresa May, you have made your party seem on this point much less like the 'nasty party' it can all too often be.....a decision which shows both common sense and humanity. We Mums of AS kids have been watching with our hearts in our mouths.....

I totally agree that GM should be snapped up and paid a high salary for his genius with a PC; and why not by our own Government IT security depts? Why didn't the US think of that, instead of just wanting to punish him and potentially imprison him for up to 60 years...!! (doh!! ) In my view they should be thanking him for getting into their systems and revealing their weaknesses before a terrorist got there, to do much, much worse damage.

chipstick i was shocked at Alan Johnson and David Blunkett.
me too. Party politicking at its worse. Made me feel I've outgrown politics when all I could think was bloody great Teresa!

I think this is the only time I have thought the Daily Mail have done any good. They have supported and campaigned for him.

I'm a cynic, but I think a deal was definitely done. It's only been a couple of weeks since Abu Hamza and his little gang of terrorists were extradited and suddenly Theresa May is blocking another extradition AND changing the law to make it much harder for the US to extradite British citizens in the future. Coincidence? I don't think so. But I'm glad on both counts [grins]

I'm very pleased he won't be extradited. His mum must be so relieved.

I'm so pleased this has happened. Though it's about the only thing this government has done that I do applaud. I used to work with young men who had Aspergers in an IT department and they often have phenomenal skills. They should be identified and encouraged to use them in positive ways that would benefit all of us. Then the stupid comments might stop.

I also wonder whether there was a deal done or at least there is a strongh link between the recent extraditions and this one being blocked. There is also a styrong feeling around political blogs that this has been forced on the Home Secretary by back benchers disatisfied about the general unpopularity of the Govt and poor showing in recent opinion polls.

Abu Hamza has been fighting extradition for 12 years and the Gary McKinnon case has been dragging on for 10 years. The fact that Abu Hamza plus 4 others were extradited just a few weeks ago and then this case dropped looks too coincidental.

I also note as others do the inherent contradiction in the Theresa May stance over the Human Righst aAct. On the one had she has said she wishes to have it repealed or reformed as it has blocked Govt taking action against certain individuals but in the McKinnon case his human rights have been cited as the reason he was not extradited.

I am pleased Gary McKinnon has not been extradited and that it was the rght decison but there are other people, especially UK businessmen, who have been extradited or under threat of extradition where it is questionable whether they actually commited a crime under UK law at all.

Overall, the main postive thing here is that at last the UK is pushing back against US extra territorial reach of its legal system. We have an UK and EU legal system and it should apply to UK citizens who are alleged to have commited a crime on UK soil. There should be no question of 'jurisdiction shopping' that has certainly gone on in the case of businessmen who have been extradited.

If he is tried here I don't think he should have a sentence as the last 10 years of his life have been punishment enough. Let him and his mother enjoy what they have left of their lives and put this behind them.

I was also really disappointed at Alan Johnson who always comes across as a likeable person. Not particularly surprised at Blunkett, though, who has espoused a decidedly illiberal set of policies over the years.

But very happy about the result. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if it had been the other way around, and an American had hacked into the MoD systems and left rude messages. I can't help thinking we'd all have been laughing at the MoD for their pathetic security, and they'd probably want to cover the whole thing up out of embarrassment rather than drawing attention to it.

PostBellumBugsy

Your suggestions are not very practical really, the costs involved would be prohibitive.

Contributions submitted by some mums earlier in the thread are probably more sensible.

My original post is, of course, entirely relevant in reminding everyone of the dangers.

I think that if they'd refused Gary McK's extradition earlier it would have set a precedent for AH et al staying- no conspiracy, but that explains the timing.

may be i'm being abit sensitive but as a mum with an aspergers son, i hate the expression used on much earlier posts of 'him being an aspie' doesn't sound very good after all after i don't refer to my friend negas as a p--i,

As the parent of a child with AS who has three expressions - arrogant, furious and absolutely fucking terrified - I am also pleased he hasn't been extradited.

I think (regardless of the AS) it would have set a very dodgy legal precedent. I don't like the idea of people being sent abroad to stand trial for effectively mucking around on the computer in their bedrooms.

I mean, if he hacked their system, whose fault is that? Shouldn't their security systems be a bit stronger?

Aspie is the term used by most of the AS community.

Delighted about this too. First ad only time you 'll find me in agreement with a Tory! :).

dawndonna, may be, but still don't like it, there are alot of parents on here that have children/young people with aspergers but they have not used it in their comments, may be it's an expression the young people use. i'm bipolar but i don't describe myself as bipee just sounds daft.