Topics in brief

• Author: International Law Group, PLLC
• Pages: 142-144

Page 142

EU and U S. conclude extradition agreement and agreement on broader mutual legal assistance in criminal matters

The Council of the European Union (EU) has issued a decision approving the agreement on extradition and the MLAT between the EU and the U.S. The parties developed the agreements in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, to improve co-operation between the EU member states and the U.S. in criminal matters. Negotiations had begun in 2002, and officials had signed the agreements on behalf of the EU on June 25, 2003. The EU Official Journal published them on July 19, 2003. The agreements supplement the existing bilateral agreements among the U.S. and EU member states. With this decision, the Council approves the agreements so as to bind the EU itself.

citation: Council Decision 2009/820/CFSP ... on the conclusion on behalf of the European Union of the Agreement on extradition between the European Union

Page 143

and the United States of America and the Agreement on mutual legal assistance ..., 2009 O.J. L (291) 40, 7 November 2009; Press Release of the Council of the European Union 14826/09 of 23 October 2009, available at www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_ Data/docs/pressData/en/jha/110727.pdf.

Japanese court rules on link between cigarette smoking and disease

On January 22, the Yokohama District Court released its ruling in a five-year-old civil action over the dangers of tobacco. Two of Plaintiffs had respiratory illnesses themselves while a widow sued on behalf of her deceased husband. They complained that smoking had caused these life-threatening illnesses such as cancer or pneumonia or emphysema. The Defendant was Japan Tobacco Inc., a former monopoly which is still majority-owned by the Japanese government. Plaintiffs sought damages in the amount of 30 million yen ($330,000). The lawsuit had also demanded that the court order the Defendant to place sterner warning labels on cigarette packages, to stop marketing cigarettes through vending machines...