George Hepburne Scott appears as Lead Counsel for the defence in groundbreaking Algerian extradition request

On 23 April 2025, George Hepburne Scott appeared as Lead Counsel for the requested person in the case of Government of Algeria v R.B.E.B, leading Georgia Beatty of 5 St Andrew’s Hill.

According to the prosecuting counsel, this was the first Algerian request since the UK and Algeria signed an extradition treaty which was ratified in 2007. Therefore the proceedings could take place under Part 2 of the Extradition Act 2003 (as opposed to the previous ‘ad hoc’ arrangements under the 2003 Act). The defence have raised challenges under: s78 (dual criminality), s.81 (extraneous considerations), s.85 (trial in absence), s.86 (prima facie case), Article 3 of the Convention (prison conditions), Article 5 (arbitrary detention), and Article 6 (right to a fair trial). The case raises many highly sensitive political and human rights issues.

At the parties’ request, the Court has divided the case up to deal with the issues of prima facie case (s.86) and dual-criminality first. These issues were addressed in legal submissions at an all-day hearing before a District Judge at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 23 April with judgment on these matters being handed down on 2 June 2025. The evidential issues included complex matters of the application of the tests for admissibility of documentary evidence in Part 2 cases. The precedents laid down by the High Court in the recent unprecedented Japanese extradition case (where George & Georgia also appeared) were deployed.

Present at the hearing were an Algerian delegation consisting of a senior official from the Presidential office, officials from the Algerian Ministry of Justice and from the Algerian Embassy.

George and Georgia are instructed by Kalilou Fadiga of Harding Mitchell.