EU Justice and Home Affairs Measures

Debate between Peter Bone and Michael Ellis

Wednesday 19th November 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Bone]

Will my hon. Friend give way?

[Michael Ellis]

I will.

[Mr Bone]

Does my hon. Friend share the concern that this is a slippery slope to a pan-European judicial system?

[Michael Ellis]

I consider myself a Eurosceptic and I do not wish to see such a slippery slope. I wish to see criminals brought to justice. Like my hon. Friend, I do not wish to see people being allowed to use this jurisdiction as though it were a safe haven for criminals and people at large.

As a consequence of those issues, I have been satisfied that the European arrest warrant in its current manifestation provides safeguards. They are never going to be perfect. Sadly, we do not have a perfect system. No such system exists where it is operated by human beings because we are not perfect. There will occasionally be miscarriages of justice, but to wipe out the whole process of expedition that now exists, because of the arrangements that have been made, seems illogical, unnecessary and not to be in the wider interests of justice. Therefore, I support the Government and their measures on this matter.