ABSTRACT
Terrorism has posed problems both of extradition to Britain and extradition from Britain. With regard to the former difficulties have arisen in connection with extradition from Ireland and extradition from the United States. Until 1987, when the Dail passed legislation to abridge the political offence exception to extradition, extradition from Ireland was inhibited.1 Particularly in relation to Ireland, British responses to refusals to extradite have sometimes been petulant and ill-informed.2 As we shall see, Irish courts themselves did not find it easy to develop or apply a satisfactory doctrine of political offences. The same comment is true of American and British courts and of British legislators.3 This is hardly surprising: the political offence doctrine is deeply rooted in the Western liberal tradition.4 It has as a correlative the value of preserving the right of political asylum in the United Kingdom.5 It must, however, co-exist with a tradition which places considerable emphasis on public order.
