Ian Norris extradited to USA

After a 6 year long battle to avoid extradition, Ian Norris, a former chief executive who headed the engineering group at Morgan Crucible, was finally flown to the US on 23 March 2010 after the European Court of Human Rights declined to hear his appeal.

Mr Norris was first indicted by US federal prosecutors on price fixing charges in 2003 and was alleged to have colluded with international competitors to rig the price of carbon parts used in the automotive and transport industries between 1989 and 2000. In particular, it was also alleged that he provided false information to the grand jury, conspired to tamper with witnesses and records and destroyed relevant documents.

Over the course of 6 years, his extradition was considered twice by the UK Supreme Court. In March 2008, in a landmark ruling, the House of Lords ruled that the price fixing charge against Mr Norris was not capable of amounting to an extradition offence as it was not a crime under Enligh law when