A parlimentary committee is to publicly question Home Secretary Alan Johnson about the extradition treaty with the US that could see hacker Gary McKinnon face an American court.
According to a report in the Telegraph, the Home Affairs select committee wants to understand how the treaty between the UK and the US is used, and whether or not Johnson should be given the power to ask for trials to be held in the UK - something McKinnon's supporters have been asking for.
McKinnon admits hacking into NASA and Pentagon computers, but has argued he did no harm. Since the incidents, the North Londoner has been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, leading his mother and other supporters to say he would suffer too much in an American jail.
Telegraph sources said Johnson would be at the committee meeting to give evidence, as would members of McKinnon's family.
Committee chairman MP Keith Vaz said: "The case of Gary McKinnon highlights the difficulties in the current extradition relationship between the UK and the US. It is clear that the US got a better deal from the Extradition Treaty."
"The treaty needs to allow ministerial discretion in exceptional circumstances such as the case of Gary McKinnon," he told the paper.
McKinnon's extradition is currently on hold while the government examines new medical evidence in the case, after being denied a request to take his case to the Supreme Court.
Click here for a timeline of the Gary McKinnon saga.
-
The UK cybersecurity sector is worth over £13 billion, but experts say there’s huge untapped potential if it can overcome these hurdlesAnalysis A new report released by the DSIT revealed the UK’s cybersecurity sector generated £13.2 billion over the last year
-
"Thinly spread": Questions raised over UK government’s latest cyber funding schemeThe funding will go towards bolstering cyber skills, though some industry experts have questioned the size of the price tag
-
Threat of cyber attacks to national security compared to that of chemical weaponsNews The UK government has raised the threat level posed by cyber attacks, deeming it greater on average than an event such as the Salisbury poisoning
-
Nintendo hacker forced to pay company 25-30% of earnings for lifeNews Gary Bowser pled guilty to hacking charges in 2021
-
2022 Public Sector Identity Index ReportWhitepaper UK Report
-
UK and Japan strike digital partnership to collaborate on IoT security, semiconductorsNews The two countries are also set to align their approaches to digital regulation to make it easier for companies to operate in each nation
-
Defra's legacy software problem 'threatens' UK gov cyber security until 2030News The department spends over two-thirds of its digital budget on maintaining the risky applications, with no plan in place for a fix within the decade
-
Netherlands urges citizens to prepare survival kits in case hackers target critical infrastructureNews The latest campaign from the national coordinator for security echoes the growing concern in the UK government over serious cyber attacks
