Competing request

Independent State of Samoa

International Criminal Court Act 2007, No.26

PART IV
ARREST AND SURRENDER OF PERSON TO ICC

40. Competing requests -

(1) Where a request for arrest and surrender of a person is received from the ICC and one or more states also request the extradition of the person for the same conduct as that which constitutes the crime for which ICC seeks the person’s surrender, the Minister –

(a) shall notify ICC and the requesting state of that fact; and
(b) shall determine whether the person is to be surrendered to the ICC or to the requesting state.

(2) Where the request for extradition of a person for the same conduct as that which constitutes the crime for which the ICC seeks the person’s surrender is made by a state which is a party to the Statute, priority shall be given to the request from the ICC if the ICC has determined under articles 18 or 19 of the Statute that the case is admissible, and where an admissibility decision is pending before the ICC, no person shall be extradited under the laws relating to extradition until the ICC makes a decision on admissibility and determines that the case is inadmissible.

(3) Where the request for extradition of a person for the same conduct as that which constitutes the crime for which the ICC seeks the persons surrender is made by a state which is not a party to the Statute, priority shall be given to the request for arrest and surrender from the ICC, if Samoa is not under an international obligation to extradite the person to the requesting state and the ICC has determined under article 18 or 19 of the Statute that the case is admissible.

(4) Where the request for extradition of a person for the same conduct as that which constitutes the crime for which the ICC seeks the person’s surrender is made by a state which is not a party to the Statute and Samoa is under an international obligation to extradite the person to the requesting state and the ICC has determined under article 18 or 19 of the Statute that the case is admissible, the Minister shall determine whether the person is to be surrendered to the ICC or extradited taking into consideration all the relevant factors including but not limited to, the respective dates of the requests, the interests of the requesting state including, where relevant, whether the crime was committed in its territory, the nationality of the victims and the person sought to be extradited, and the possibility of subsequent surrender between the ICC and the requesting state.

(5) Where a request for arrest and surrender is received from the ICC and one or more states also request the extradition of the person for conduct other than that which constitutes the crime for which ICC seeks the person’s surrender, priority shall be given to the request from the ICC if Samoa is not under an international obligation to extradite the person to any requesting state.

(6) Where a request for surrender is received from the ICC and one or more states also request the extradition of the person for conduct other than that which constitutes the crime for which ICC seeks the person’s surrender, and Samoa is under an international obligation to extradite to one or more of the requesting states, the Minister shall determine whether the person is to be surrendered to the ICC or extradited to a requesting state taking into consideration all the relevant factors referred to in subsection (4) as well as the relative nature and gravity of the conduct in question.

PART V
REQUESTS FOR OTHER TYPES OF ASSISTANCE


77. Postponement of execution of request for assistance -

(1) The Minister may postpone the execution of a request for assistance under this Part only if -

(d) there are competing requests for assistance from ICC and a state, and the Minister in consultation with ICC and the state decides to postpone the execution of the ICC’s request.

Rome Statute

Article 90 Competing requests

1. A State Party which receives a request from the Court for the surrender of a person under article 89 shall, if it also receives a request from any other State for the extradition of the same person for the same conduct which forms the basis of the crime for which the Court seeks the person's surrender, notify the Court and the requesting State of that fact.

2. Where the requesting State is a State Party, the requested State shall give priority to the request from the Court if:

(a) The Court has, pursuant to article 18 or 19, made a determination that the case in respect of which surrender is sought is admissible and that determination takes into account the investigation or prosecution conducted by the requesting State in respect of its request for extradition; or

(b) The Court makes the determination described in subparagraph (a) pursuant to the requested State's notification under paragraph 1.

3. Where a determination under paragraph 2 (a) has not been made, the requested State may, at its discretion, pending the determination of the Court under paragraph 2 (b), proceed to deal with the request for extradition from the requesting State but shall not extradite the person until the Court has determined that the case is inadmissible. The Court's determination shall be made on an expedited basis.

4. If the requesting State is a State not Party to this Statute the requested State, if it is not under an international obligation to extradite the person to the requesting State, shall give priority to the request for surrender from the Court, if the Court has determined that the case is admissible.

5. Where a case under paragraph 4 has not been determined to be admissible by the Court, the requested State may, at its discretion, proceed to deal with the request for extradition from the requesting State.

6. In cases where paragraph 4 applies except that the requested State is under an existing international obligation to extradite the person to the requesting State not Party to this Statute, the requested State shall determine whether to surrender the person to the Court or extradite the person to the requesting State. In making its decision, the requested State shall consider all the relevant factors, including but not limited to:

(a) The respective dates of the requests;

(b) The interests of the requesting State including, where relevant, whether the crime was committed in its territory and the nationality of the victims and of the person sought; and

(c) The possibility of subsequent surrender between the Court and the requesting State.

7. Where a State Party which receives a request from the Court for the surrender of a person also receives a request from any State for the extradition of the same person for conduct other than that which constitutes the crime for which the Court seeks the person's surrender:

(a) The requested State shall, if it is not under an existing international obligation to extradite the person to the requesting State, give priority to the request from the Court;

(b) The requested State shall, if it is under an existing international obligation to extradite the person to the requesting State, determine whether to surrender the person to the Court or to extradite the person to the requesting State. In making its decision, the requested State shall consider all the relevant factors, including but not limited to those set out in paragraph 6, but shall give special consideration to the relative nature and gravity of the conduct in question.

Where pursuant to a notification under this article, the Court has determined a case to be inadmissible, and subsequently extradition to the requesting State is refused, the requested State shall notify the Court of this decision.