Cooperation under procedures of national law

Belize

Belize - Extradition Act 2000 EN

BELIZE -EXTRADITION ACT

PART II - Extradition Generally

6.-(1) In any proceedings for extradition of an accused person to a foreign state, every duly authenticated document issued by a judge of the country applying for extradition shall be held to be a warrant as required by any extradition treaty applicable to Belize, if in such document the arrest of the person whose extradition is desired is ordered, authorised or requested, or if in such document instructions be given for the issue of an order or request for the arrest of such person.

BELIZE -EXTRADITION ACT

PART II - Extradition Generally

7.-(1) In every case in which the Chief Magistrate dismisses the charge against a person in respect of whom an application for extradition has been made, the Director of Public Prosecutions may require the said magistrate to transmit to him the evidence and all the documents connected with the case, and it shall be the duty of the magistrate forthwith to comply with such requisition.

BELIZE -EXTRADITION ACT

PART II - Extradition Generally

7 (2) If the Director of Public Prosecutions is of opinion that the charge ought not to have been dismissed, he may apply to the Supreme Court for a warrant of arrest of the accused person, and if the court is of opinion that such charge ought not to have been dismissed it may make such order as the magistrate ought to have made, and may make such other orders and do all such acts as it may think necessary to carry out in respect of the accused person the provisions of the Extradition Acts and of the Treaty under which the extradition of the accused person is requested.

All requests shall be supported by:

(a) documents, statements, or other types of evidence which describe the identity, and probable location of the person sought;

(b) evidence describing the facts of the offense and the procedural history of the case;

(c) evidence as to:

(i) the provisions of the laws describing the essential elements of the offense for which extraditio n is requested;

(ii) the provisions of the law describing the punishment for the offense; and

(iii) the provisions of law describing any time limit on the prosecution; and

(d) the documents, statements, or other types of evidence specified in paragraph 3 or paragraph 4 of this Article, as applicable.

3. A request for extradition of a person who is sought for prosecution shall also be supported by:

(a) a copy of the warrant or order of arrest, if any, issued by a judge or other competent authority of the Requesting State;

(b) a document setting forth the charges; and

(c) such evidence as would be found sufficient, according to the law of the Requested State, to justify the committal for trial of the person sought if the offense of which the person has been accused had been committed in the Requested State.

4. A request for extradition relating to a person who has been convicted of the offense for which extradition is sought shall, in addition to the materials listed in paragraph 2 of this Article, be supported by:

(a) a copy of the judgment of conviction or, if such copy is not available, a statement by a judicial authority that the person has been convicted;

(b) evidence establishing that the person sought is the person to whom the conviction refers;

(c) a copy of the sentence imposed, if the person sought has been sentenced, and a statement establishing to what extent the sentence has been carried out; and

(d) in the case of a person who has been convicted in absentia, the documents required by paragraph 3 of this Article.

BELIZE -EXTRADITION ACT

PART IV – Extradition (United States)

Article 9 - Provisional Arrest

1.In case of urgency, a Contracting State may request the provisional arrest of the person sought pending presentation of the request for extradition. A request for provisional arrest may be transmitted through the diplomatic channel or directly between the United States Department of Justice and the Attorney General in Belize. Such a request may also be transmitted through the facilities of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), or through such other means as may be settled by arrangement between the Contracting States.

2. The application for provisional arrest shall contain:

(a) a description of the person sought;

(b) the location of the person sought, if known;

(c) a brief statement of the facts of the case, including, if possible, the time and location of the offense;

(d) a description of the laws violated;

(e) a statement of the existence of a warrant of arrest or a finding of guilt or judgment of conviction against the person sought; and

(f) a statement that a request for extradition for the person sought will follow.

3. The Requesting State shall be notified without delay of the disposition of its application and the reasons for any denial.

4. A person who is provisionally arrested may be discharged from custody upon the expiration of sixty (60) days from the date of provisional arrest pursuant to this Treaty if the executive authority of the Requested State has not received the formal request for extradition and the supporting documents required in Article 6. The person arrested pursuant to this Article shall have the right of access to the courts for such remedies and recourses as are provided by the law of the Requested State.

5. The fact that the person sought has been discharged from custody pursuant to paragraph 4 of this Article shall not prejudice the subsequent rearrest and extradition of that person if the extradition request and supporting documents are delivered at a later date.

BELIZE -EXTRADITION ACT

PART IV – Extradition (United States)

Article 10 - Decision and Surrender

1. Extradition shall be granted only if the evidence is found sufficient according to the law of the Requested State either to justify the committal for trial of the person sought if the offense of which the person is accused had been committed in the territory of the Requested State or to prove that the person is the identical person convicted by the courts of the Requesting State.

2. The Requested State shall promptly notify the Requesting State through the diplomatic channel of its decision on the request for extradition.

3. If the request is denied in whole or in part, the Requested State shall provide an explanation of the reasons for the denial. The Requested State shall provide copies of pertinent judicial decisions upon request.

4. If the request for extradition is granted, the authorities of the Contracting State shall agree on the time and place for the surrender of the person sought.

5. If the person sought is not removed from the territory of the Requested State within the time prescribed by the law of that State, that person may be discharged from custody, and the Requested State may subsequently refuse extradition for the same offense.

BELIZE -EXTRADITION ACT

PART IV – Extradition (United States)

Article 11 - Temporary and Deferred Surrender

1. If the extradition request is granted in the case of a person who is being proceeded against or is serving a sentence in the Requested State, the Requested State may temporarily surrender the person sought to the Requesting State for the purpose of prosecution. The person so surrendered shall be kept in custody in the Requesting State and shall be returned to the Requested State after the conclusion of the proceedings against that person, in accordance with conditions to be determined by mutual agreement of the Contracting States.

2. The Requested State may postpone the extradition proceedings against a person who is being prosecuted or who is serving a sentence in that State. The postponement may continue until the prosecution of the person sought has been concluded or until such person has served any sentence imposed.

BELIZE -EXTRADITION ACT

PART IV – Extradition (United States)

Article 13 - Seizure and Surrender of Property

1. To the extent permitted under its law, the Requested State may seize and surrender to the Requesting State all articles, documents, and evidence connected with the offense in respect of which extradition is granted. The items mentioned in this Article may be surrendered even when the extradition cannot be effected due to the death, disappearance, or escape of the person sought.

2. The Requested State may condition the surrender of the property upon satisfactory assurances from the Requesting State that the property will be returned to the Requested State as soon as practicable. The Requested State may also defer the surrender of such property if it is needed as evidence in the Requested State.

BELIZE -EXTRADITION ACT

PART IV – Extradition (United States)

Article 16 - Transit

1. Either Contracting State may authorize transportation through its territory of a person surrendered to the other State by a third State. A request for transit shall be transmitted through the diplomatic channel or directly between the Department of Justice in the United States and the Attorney General in Belize. Such a request may also be transmitted through the facilities of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), or through such other means as may be settled by arrangement between the Contracting States. It shall contain a description of the person being transported and a brief statement of the facts of the case. A person in transit may be detained in custody during the period of transit.

2. No authorization is required where air transportation is used and no landing is scheduled on the territory of the Contracting State. If an unscheduled landing occurs on the territory of the other Contracting State, the other Contracting State may require the request for transit as provided in paragraph 1. That Contracting State may detain the person to be transported until the request for transit is received and the transit is effected, so long as the request is received within 96 hours of the unscheduled landing.

Rome Statute

Article 88 Availability of procedures under national law

States Parties shall ensure that there are procedures available under their national law for all of the forms of cooperation which are specified under this Part.

Article 89 Surrender of persons to the Court

1. The Court may transmit a request for the arrest and surrender of a person, together with the material supporting the request outlined in article 91, to any State on the territory of which that person may be found and shall request the cooperation of that State in the arrest and surrender of such a person. States Parties shall, in accordance with the provisions of this Part and the procedure under their national law, comply with requests for arrest and surrender.

Article 93 Other forms of cooperation

1. States Parties shall, in accordance with the provisions of this Part and under procedures of national law, comply with requests by the Court to provide the following assistance in relation to investigations or prosecutions:

(a) The identification and whereabouts of persons or the location of items;

(b) The taking of evidence, including testimony under oath, and the production of evidence, including expert opinions and reports necessary to the Court;

(c) The questioning of any person being investigated or prosecuted;

(d) The service of documents, including judicial documents;

(e) Facilitating the voluntary appearance of persons as witnesses or experts before the Court;

(f) The temporary transfer of persons as provided in paragraph 7;

(g) The examination of places or sites, including the exhumation and examination of grave sites;

(h) The execution of searches and seizures;

(i) The provision of records and documents, including official records and documents;

(j) The protection of victims and witnesses and the preservation of evidence;

(k) The identification, tracing and freezing or seizure of proceeds, property and assets and instrumentalities of crimes for the purpose of eventual forfeiture, without prejudice to the rights of bona fide third parties; and

(l) Any other type of assistance which is not prohibited by the law of the requested State, with a view to facilitating the investigation and prosecution of crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court.

Article 99 Execution of requests under articles 93 and 96

1. Requests for assistance shall be executed in accordance with the relevant procedure under the law of the requested State and, unless prohibited by such law, in the manner specified in the request, including following any procedure outlined therein or permitting persons specified in the request to be present at and assist in the execution process.