The High Court judge in charge of Irish extradition cases has said he will hold off ordering anybody's surrender to another jurisdiction for the moment, and only for the most serious of offences.
Mr Justice Donald Binchy, who dealt with a list of up to 30 international extradition cases in the High Court today, said he would not be making orders for surrender, save in the most serious of cases, until after the Easter break at the earliest.
He said the making of any orders "might encourage flight" and could "cause problems within the prison system". If somebody was to have their extradition ordered in the coming days and weeks, there could be no guarantee they would be surrendered in the required 25-day period, he said.