THE TELEGRAPH: British people could be convicted in their absence by foreign courts, under proposals approved by the European Parliament.
The plans could see them immediately extradited to a European country on the basis of an "in absentia" guilty verdict in its courts for offences carrying fines or custodial sentences.
In a joint statement the Parliament said: "The EU wants to create a common area for justice, which requires the mutual recognition of criminal law judgments by member states."
The proposals, which were put forward by seven countries, including Britain, were described as "by their very nature a violation of the fundamental procedural rights of the accused" by the European Criminal Bar Association.
In a letter to MEPs, it said: "The rights of European citizens will be undermined because in absentia judgments will result in the surrender of European citizens on the basis of a judgment given at a trial in which they never had the chance to participate." Britons Could Be Tried in Absence in Foreign Courts under EU Plan >>> By Jon Swaine | September 3, 2008
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