The alleged offences relate to the acquisition of the British tech company, Autonomy, by the US-based Hewlett Packard, headquartered in Palo Alto, California, for USD$11 billion in 2011.
The company was subsequently written down one year later by USD$8.8 billion, at which point Hewlett Packard accused Mr Lynch and the company of fraud, among other offences.
District Judge Snow’s ruling was delivered on Thursday 22 July 2021. This was unexpected, as it was previously assumed that DJ Snow would delay delivering his verdict until Mr Lynch’s civil proceedings in the High Court (which examined the underlying arguments informing the extradition request in much greater detail than in the extradition proceedings) had concluded.
Lynch’s defence team, led by Alex Bailin QC, had previously argued that the forum bar (Section 83A of the Extradition Act 2003) should prevent Mr Lynch from being extradited to the US, as it was supposed that most of the loss or harm resulting from the extradition offences had occurred in the UK, and that it was therefore in the best interests of justice that Mr Lynch be tried for the alleged criminal conduct in the UK.
DJ Snow’s verdict, however, does not mean that Mr Lynch will be extradited imminently. Mr Lynch’s defence team have 14 days from the date of the judgment to appeal the verdict, which in any event will first be sent to the Secretary of State for the Home Department for her approval (or rejection).
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