Nanda, Ved P. --- "Extradition and mutual legal assistance" [2011] ELECD 106; in Brown, S. Bartram (ed), "Research Handbook on International Criminal Law" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2011)

Book Title: Research Handbook on International Criminal Law

Editor(s): Brown, S. Bartram

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781847202789

Section: Chapter 14

Section Title: Extradition and mutual legal assistance

Author(s): Nanda, Ved P.

Number of pages: 26

Extract:

14 Extradition and mutual legal assistance: recent trends
in inter-state cooperation to combat international
crimes
Ved P. Nanda



INTRODUCTION

In this era of globalization, worldwide concern with international terrorism and other cross-
border crimes, such as narcotics trafficking, trafficking in persons, arms smuggling, financial
crimes, massive tax cheating and major frauds, have led to several multilateral, regional and
bilateral interstate efforts to combat such crimes. In the aftermath of the tragic events of 11
September 2001, the United Nations and several regional organizations, especially the
European Union and the Organization of American States (OAS), undertook new initiatives to
respond to the threats of terrorism. For example, the UN Security Council invoked Chapter VII
of the UN Charter to authorize the use of force in self-defense to combat international terror-
ism. This indeed was a transformative decision, which was followed by the Security Council's
sanctioning of stringent financial measures by states to address the menace of terrorism.
In recent years, the United States has fostered closer law enforcement cooperation with
other countries and with the European Union. Compounding the 9/11 concerns for Europe
(since key logistical and planning centers for terrorist attacks on the United States were found
to be in Germany and Spain) were the 2004 terrorist bombings in Madrid and terrorist attacks
on the London transport system in 2005. The EU responded by creating a counter-terrorism
coordinator and by the adoption of a new EU counter-terrorism strategy. It is worth noting
that the ...