US diplomat's wife leaves UK after fatal crash - claims immunity

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...growing-calls/


This story is absurd. She is accused of causing a crash in which a U.K Citizen was killed and we can't do anything about it because the US won't revoke her immunity!

In the aftermath she got out of the car and admitted liability, sources suggest.



But the following day, when police visited her home at Croughton, which is being used as a US intelligence base, to inform her the teenager had died in hospital, lawyers and embassy officials stepped in.


Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, personally intervened, urging US ambassador Woody Johnson to grant a waiver of immunity, which was declined.


The US State Department confirmed that the vehicle was being driven by the spouse of a US diplomat assigned to the UK and that the family had left the the country.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by Damien

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...growing-calls/


This story is absurd. She is accused of causing a crash in which a U.K Citizen was killed and we can't do anything about it because the US won't revoke her immunity!

America First, remember?

[papa smurf]

As sad as this story is there would be no point in having diplomatic immunity if it was revoked as soon as there is an incident.

[nomadking]

It's not as if the UK has accepted every US extradition request. The UK is always looking for a feeble excuse to refuse.

Link

Why is it so much easier to extradite someone from the UK to the U.S. than in the other direction
It isn’t. The United States has not denied a single extradition request from the UK under the treaty; the UK has denied 10 requests from the U.S. since the treaty took effect.
Moreover, extradition requests from the U.S. to the UK have taken as long as 13 years to work their way through the UK and European courts. For extradition requests from the UK to the U.S. the subjects are in most cases extradited within several months.

[GrimUpNorth]

Originally Posted by nomadking

It's not as if the UK has accepted every US extradition request. The UK is always looking for a feeble excuse to refuse.

Link

Could that be something to do with Article 7? We have the right to refuse to extradite anyone who may be sentenced to death if found guilty in the US.

It’s not an extradition request, she has immunity so any request would be pointless

[GrimUpNorth]

Originally Posted by Damien

It’s not an extradition request, she has immunity so any request would be pointless

I understand that - was just trying to explain the possible 'feeble excuse' mentioned above.

Though I do think she should face the consequences of her actions.

[nomadking]

Originally Posted by GrimUpNorth

Could that be something to do with Article 7? We have the right to refuse to extradite anyone who may be sentenced to death if found guilty in the US.

Certainly not always, and then IIRC the US tends to take the death penalty off the table in those cases.

Originally Posted by papa smurf

As sad as this story is there would be no point in having diplomatic immunity if it was revoked as soon as there is an incident.

Her husband is at RAF Croughton - it's unlikely he's a diplomat*...

*more likely he's Sigint/No Such Agency...

[Uncle Peter]

The longer she stays away attempting to evade the justice process then the more people will start digging which will not end well if something's being hidden.

As Hugh stated above: The husband is more than likely NRO SIGINT and probably one of the higher-ups with a child at an expensive private school.

[Pierre]

“Immunity”. The clue is in the answer, as distressing as it is.

Originally Posted by Pierre

“Immunity”. The clue is in the answer, as distressing as it is.

Diplomatic Immunity exists as protection against vindictive actions from the host government. It's one measure to help protect against individuals becoming pawns in a tit-for-tat battle between their governments. When it is abused it's usually small scale transgressions like avoiding parking tickets. It is not meant to protect people accused of killing a citizen of the host country.

The U.S. are sticking two fingers up at us and completely abusing this privilege. Yes, legally they are in the clear and politically too since they know we can't do anything about it. Just really infuriating.

[Mr K]

Well Boris is going to call Trump, let's see what happens. Should be a clue to our future.

[jfman]

Originally Posted by Mr K

Well Boris is going to call Trump, let's see what happens. Should be a clue to our future.

And he’s trying to get the tariffs off Scotch whisky. Come on, Don let’s get this glorious trade deal off to a good start, make the special relationship great again!

[nomadking]

Parking tickets have nothing to do with diplomatic immunity. They are to do with whether a charge is for a service or a penalty.
Link

In part, things have reached this stage because of an argument over whether the charge is the price of a service or merely a tax for going in and out of London. Diplomats tend to argue the second, because it just so happens that they are also immune from tax as well as from prosecution. The US reached this view in 2005.

Geneva Convention

Article 23
1.The sending State and the head of the mission shall be exempt from all national, regional or
municipal dues and taxes in respect of the premises of the mission, whether owned or leased, other than
such as represent payment for specific services rendered.
Article 34
A diplomatic agent shall be exempt from all dues and taxes, personal or real, national, regional or
municipal, except:

---------- Post added at 22:06 ---------- Previous post was at 22:05 ----------

Originally Posted by jfman

And he’s trying to get the tariffs off Scotch whisky. Come on, Don let’s get this glorious trade deal off to a good start, make the special relationship great again!

The tariffs are aimed at the EU. Leave the EU and no tariffs.