Kim Dotcom Extradition Decision Was Lawful, Judicial Review Denied
16 hours ago
- #Extradition
- #Copyright Case
- #Kim Dotcom
- Kim Dotcom's file-storage empire, Megaupload, was dismantled in a high-profile 2012 operation involving international law enforcement.
- New Zealand's Supreme Court approved Dotcom's extradition to the U.S. in 2020, and the Minister of Justice authorized it in August 2024.
- Dotcom applied for judicial review, claiming bias, bad faith, and disproportionate treatment compared to his former co-defendants.
- His former colleagues, Mathias Ortmann and Bram van der Kolk, avoided extradition by striking a deal with New Zealand authorities.
- Dotcom's judicial review raised six causes of action, including claims of political motivation, undue delay, and unlawful discrimination.
- The High Court rejected all allegations, finding no evidence of bad faith, abuse of process, or unreasonable treatment.
- The Court ruled that the disparity in sentences between Dotcom and his colleagues was irrelevant to the extradition decision.
- The Police Commissioner's decision not to charge Dotcom in New Zealand was deemed a proper exercise of discretion.
- Dotcom's legal options are now limited, with the exhaustion of appeals being the most likely outcome.