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England and Wales High Court (Administrative Court) Decisions |
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You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> England and Wales High Court (Administrative Court) Decisions >> Jakab v Regional Court of Zalaegerszeg, Hungary [2022] EWHC 1308 (Admin) (27 May 2022) URL: http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2022/1308.html Cite as: [2023] Env LR 12, [2022] ACD 136, [2022] EWHC 1308 (Admin) |
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QUEEN'S BENCH DIVISION
ADMINISTRATIVE COURT
Strand, London, WC2A 2LL |
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B e f o r e :
____________________
Sandor Jakab |
Appellant |
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- and - |
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Regional Court of Zalaegerszeg, Hungary |
Respondent |
____________________
Benjamin Joyes (instructed by CPS) for the Respondent
Hearing dates: Tuesday 1st March 2022
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Crown Copyright ©
Mr Justice Dove :
The EAW.
"The Ford Transit car with the number plate HZJ-782 was pulled over on 22 May 2012 at 3:30pm in Zalaegerszeg in front of the building located at 11 Egervari Street by an officer of the Criminal Investigations Department of Zalaegerszeg Police Department, in which vehicle defendants Zoltan Lakatos and Sandor Milan Jakab were transporting 17 various types of lead-acid batteries, 2 used radiator grilles and approximately 230 kg of multi-core aluminium wires without holding any official permit for waste management."
"(ii)(a) After obtaining the inoperative lead-batteries, Sandor Milan Jakab and his co-actor did not comply with environmental regulations; they improperly handled and transported the batteries. Lead batteries – due to their components – were capable of endangering the physical integrity and health of humans, the soil, the water, the air, and the components thereof, as well as the living organisms.
(b) According to the "List of hazardous waste" in Article 1 (4) of Council Directive 91/689/EEC on hazardous waste, lead battery shall be considered as hazardous waste.
In accordance with annex 1.B, wastes consisting of batteries and other electrical cells which contain lead or lead components listed in Annex II, points H6 and H7 respectively."
"45.s.10 Ruling:
The Judicial Authority submits that the criminal conduct therein constitutes an offence under s.33(i)(c) and 33(6) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 ("EPA").
46. s.75(4) of the EPA defines controlled waste as being household, industrial or commercial waste "or any such waste". The further information states that SJ "improperly handled and transported the batteries" in question.
47. Mr Joyes, having carried out admirable researches, has directed the court to a passage in Wolf and Stanley on Environmental Law (6th edition) 2014, Routledge, p.222 which describes "keeping" as referring to "storing waste whether permanently or temporarily" and he submits that the carriage of said batteries in his vehicle during transportation is equivalent of temporary storage.
48. The further information provided by the Judicial Authority states that SJ "improperly handled and transported the batteries and that the lead batteries – due to their components – were capable of endangering the physical integrity and health of humans, the soil, the water, the air… as well as… living organisms and that the said batteries were… "hazardous waste" within the meaning of Article 1(4) of the Council Directive 91/689/EEC.
49. The defence submit that there is no (or insufficient) evidence that SJ had "kept", "treated" or "disposed of" the items in question. Mr Stansfeld adds that transporting such waste, if indeed that was what SJ was doing, is clearly quite different from keeping it.
Counsel asserts that this provision of law is specifically designed to prevent waste from being kept on a particular site and does not cover its transportation.
50. Further and in the alternative the defence take issue with the suggestion that the materials set out in charge (iv) of Conviction 2 can properly be considered to fall within the accepted definition of "controlled waste" per s.75 (4) of the 1990 Act.
51. Having considered the able submissions made by the parties, I am entirely satisfied that, had the alleged conduct (in respect of charge (iv) of Conviction 2) taken place in the UK, if proved, it would have amounted to an offence contrary to s.33 (i)(c) and 33(6) of the EPA and I accept Mr Joyes' interpretation of the law in respect thereof as it relates to this case.
52. I am satisfied that the act of transporting the batteries in question on 22 May 2012, the requested person's conduct constituted storing them temporarily, thereby contravening the EPA, by keeping the batteries – controlled waste – in a manner likely cause pollution of the environment or harm to human health.
Accordingly, this challenge must fail."
"93. Article 8 Balancing Exercise:
(a)Factors said to be in favour of Granting Extradition:
(i) There is a strong and continuing important public interest in the UK abiding by its international extradition obligations.
(ii) The seriousness of the offences in respect of which he has been convicted and sentenced. There remains a global sentence of 4 years 2 months outstanding (less the period of circa 3 months spent in the UK on remand).
(iii) The assertion by the Judicial Authority and the finding by this court that the requested person is a fugitive from Justice in respect of both convictions.
(iv) SJ is not a man of good character. Apart from the matters for which his return is sought he has the following matters recorded against him in the UK:
(a)27 January 2009 Conviction:
(i) Making off without payment (ii) Driving without a license (iii) No insurance: offences all committed on 24th September 2008 – Fined and Penalty points imposed.
(b) 31 January 2009: Caution for theft (Shoplifting)
It is also to be noted that these offence dates do not sit comfortably with SJ's recollection of events, as according to him, he was in Hungary from 2007 through to 2013 and he made no mention of being in the UK when the above crimes were committed.
(v) I have found him to be a fugitive in respect of both Convictions.
94.b Factors said to be in favour of refusing extradition.
(i) SJ says that he has been settled in the UK since 2013.
(ii) He states that he has been in regular employment and has fixed accommodation where he resides with his long-term partner, their children and his father.
(iii) SJ says that, in the main, he has led a law-abiding life since settling in the UK.
(v) He asserts that he is not a fugitive from justice in relation to either conviction.
95. Article 8 Findings and Ruling
I find that it will not be a disproportionate interference with the Article 8 rights of the requested person for extradition to be ordered.
My reasons and findings are as follows:
It is very important for the UK to be seen to be upholding its international extradition obligations. The UK is not to be considered a "safe haven" for those sought by other Convention countries either to stand trial or to serve a prison sentence.
(ii) In my opinion, the offences set out in the EAW are serious and, in the event of a conviction in the UK for like criminal conduct, a prison sentence may well be imposed.
(iii) This court finds that the requested person is unlawfully at large and has acquired fugitive status in respect of both convictions for which his return is sought. The reasons for this finding are set out heretofore.
(iv) It is appreciated that there will be hardship caused to SJ and to his partner, their children and to his father. However, that of itself is not sufficient to prevent an order for extradition from being made. The 2 older children were born in Hungary and, until 2016, the father lived in Hungary.
(V) As this court has found as a fact that SJ is a fugitive from justice, this finding brings paragraph 39 of the decision in Celinksi above into consideration. I do not find that there are such strong counter balancing factors as would render extradition Article 8 disproportionate in this case."
Ground 1: section 10 and offence 4.
"33. Prohibition on unauthorised or harmful deposit, treatment, or disposal of waste.
1.Subject to [subsections (1A), (1B), (2) and (3) below] and, in relation to Scotland, to subsection 54 below, a person shall not –
(a) deposit controlled waste or extractive waste, or knowingly cause or knowingly permit controlled waste or extractive waste to be deposited in or on any land unless an environmental permit authorising the deposit is in force and the deposit is in accordance with the permit;
(b) submit controlled waste, or knowingly cause or knowingly permit controlled waste to be submitted, to any listed operation (other than an operation within subsection (1A) that –
(i) is carried out in or on any land, or by means of any mobile plant, and
(ii) is not carried out under and in accordance with an environmental permit;
(c) treat, keep, or dispose of controlled waste or extractive waste in a manner likely to cause pollution of the environment or harm to human health.
…
5. Where controlled waste is carried in and deposited from a motor vehicle, the person who controls or is in a position to control the use of the vehicle shall, for the purposes of subsection (1A) above, be treated as knowingly causing them to be deposited whether or not he gave any instructions for this to be done.
6. A person who contravenes subsection 1 above commits an offence."
"(3) "Pollution of the environment" means the pollution of the environment due to release or escape (into any environmental medium) from –
(a) the land on which controlled waste or extractive waste is treated,
(b) the land on which controlled waste or extractive waste is kept,
(c) the land in or on which controlled waste or extractive waste is deposited,
(d) fixed plant by means of which controlled waste or extractive waste is treated, kept or disposed of."
"75. Meaning of "waste" and household, commercial and industrial waste and hazardous waste…
(2) "waste" means anything that is waste within the meaning of Article 3(1) of Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on waste
…
(4) "controlled waste" means household, industrial and commercial waste or any such waste.
…
(8) Regulations made by the Secretary of State made provide that waste of a description prescribed in the regulation shall be treated for the purposes of provisions of this Part prescribed in the regulations as being or not being household waste or industrial waste or commercial waste; and reference to waste in subsection (7) above and this subsection do not include sewage (including matter in or from a privy) except so far as the regulations provide otherwise."
"scrap metal" includes any old metal, and any broken, worn out, defaced or partly manufactured articles made wholly or partly of metal, and any metallic waste, and also includes old, broken, worn out or defaced tool tips or dies made of any of the materials commonly known as hard metal or cemented or sintered metallic carbides".
"12(4) These Regulations apply to hazardous waste in England notwithstanding that the waste –
(a) was produced on or removed from premises in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or Gibraltar; or
(b) is, or is to be, transported from premises in England to premises located in one of those places.
(5) For the avoidance of doubt, in their application to –
(a) ships' waste, these Regulations apply to any ship;
(b) the internal waters and the territorial sea of the United Kingdom adjacent to England, these Regulations apply, without prejudice to paragraph (3), to a consignment of waste transported in any ship,
in each case (whether the ship is a United Kingdom ship or otherwise and if a United Kingdom ship, whether registered in England or otherwise)."
Ground 2: Article 8.
"(15) In the procedure No B.491.2006 a European arrest warrant was issued indeed against Sandor Milan Jakab but the procedure aimed at adjudicating on the charge therefore after the court had adopted a verdict i.e had taken a position regarding guilt, the European arrest warrant was withdrawn since it was issued for the purpose of ensuring the attendance of the defendant in the procedure so it was no longer relevant after the adoption of the verdict. Then in 2016 Sandor Milan Jakab submitted a motion for review to the Curia which obviously shows that this time he stayed in Hungary. After the motion for review had been adjudicated the BVOP began to carry out such measures which aimed to ensure that the defendant enlisted in the penal institution to serve his sentence. For this purpose, the BVOP sent a request to the defendant which he did not receive due to his stay at an unknown location – despite the fact that pursuant to the Criminal Procedures Act he shall report any change in his place of residency or stay, then the competent authority carried out several measures in order to deliver the request to the defendant. Since no measure yielded any positive result, the BVOP sent several requests to the police for finding the defendant and once it established that all measures taken to find the defendant were unsuccessful, pursuant to the provisions of law it sent a request to the court for issuing a European arrest warrant to ensure the execution of the sentence which was later issued by the court.
In the procedure No. 14.B.861.2012 no arrest warrant could be requested due to the sentence No. B.491.2006 until the final decision because the procedure in 2006 concluded with the imposition of a suspended imprisonment the execution of which was ordered by a later verdict in 2012. The procedure in 2012 is more complicated which was conducted by consolidating several cases initiated separately therefore the court could not modify the European arrest warrant in accordance with the current state of the case every time when a case was consolidated. However, regarding that Sandor Milan Jakab was interrogated in the course of the investigation when he was advised of his obligation to immediately notify the acting authority of any change in his place of residence or stay in accordance with the provisions of the Criminal Procedures Act. Therefore, he did not exercise his right of defence on his own initiative though he was aware of the procedure, the court attempted to summon him to every procedural action, and after the conclusion of the appellate procedure he filed in person a motion for review. The statutory provisions of the procedure in the absence of the defendant did not allow that the procedure be suspended."
"(b) been convicted of an offence for which they have been sentenced to a period of imprisonment of at least 12 months but less than 4 years, unless a period of 10 years has passed since the end of the sentence."
"Ones which involve a harsh outcome(s) for the Applicant or their family which is not justified by the public interest, including in maintaining effective immigration controls, preventing burdens on the taxpayer, promoting integration and protecting the public and the rights and freedoms of others."
"Where the applicant's partner is in the UK, the question of whether refusal of entry clearance could or would result in unjustifiably harsh consequences equally requires a very stringent assessment. For example, a British citizen partner who has lived in the UK all their life, has friends and family here, works here and speaks only English may not wish to uproot and relocate halfway across the world, and it may be very difficult for them to do so. However, a significant degree of hardship or inconvenience does not amount to an unjustifiably harsh consequence in this context. ECHR Article 8 does not oblige the UK to accept the choice of a couple as to which country they would prefer to reside in."
Conclusion.