Tibor Jozsa v Tribunal of Szekesfehervar, Hungary
[2023] EWHC 2404 (Admin)
Sandor Atilla Rumpler v The Regional Court in Budapest, Hungary
8 February 2024
[2024] EWHC 258 (Admin)
High Court
A man was convicted of theft in Hungary, fled to the UK, and now faces extradition. A UK court decided to send him back to Hungary to serve his remaining short sentence. Even though he's built a life in the UK, the court prioritized the need to uphold Hungarian justice and that he fled to avoid the sentence.
Key Facts
- •Sandor Attila Rumpler (Appellant) is wanted for extradition to Hungary for a 2013 theft.
- •He was convicted in Hungary in 2014, received a suspended sentence, and subsequently re-offended, leading to the activation of the suspended sentence.
- •He fled to the UK in 2017 to avoid serving the activated sentence.
- •He has lived and worked openly in the UK since 2017, has a partner, and has supported his daughter in Hungary.
- •He was arrested in the UK in May 2023 for breaching bail conditions and has been on remand since.
- •Only 6 weeks of his original 10-month sentence remain to be served.
Legal Principles
Article 8 ECHR (right to respect for private and family life)
Proportionality of extradition under Article 8 ECHR
Love v USA [2018] EWHC 172 (Admin)
Rebalancing the Article 8 assessment based on updated information
Vidak v Hungary [2023] EWHC 1108 (Admin)
Relevance of time served on curfew and remand in Article 8 proportionality assessment
Vidak §§23-24
Relevance of the gravity of the offence in Article 8 proportionality assessment
Consideration of early release possibilities under Hungarian law
Vidak
Public interest in extradition, particularly for fugitives
Outcomes
Appeal dismissed; extradition ordered.
The court found that extradition remains proportionate despite the reduced sentence remaining. The public interest in upholding Hungarian justice, especially for a fugitive, outweighs the Article 8 considerations raised by the Appellant.
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