Thread by @seanwhelanRTE

Prof Valsamis Mitsilegas tells NI committee that the agreement on JHA is dynamic, as EU values UK inputs, and EU law will evolve over time, and value of system to UK will mean adaptation

Prof Steve Peers of Esssex Uni. Tells NI cttee that deal keeps 3/4 of previous arrangement, missing quarter is SIS II and some other capabilities in data exchange. Says quite a lot has been preserved by two sides, esp compared to no deal situation

Simon Hoare MP - is the deal adequate to challenge of policing NI, and IRL: Dr Gemma Davies (Northumbria law school). Says Data Protection issues v complex, PSNI/AGS co-operation might be better facilitated by specific agreement (not going beyond EU agreement, but clarifying)

Colin Murray tells NI cttee that Norway/Iceland extradition arrangements with EU put in place 10 years ago, now working in ways comparable to EU arrest warrant. Operational issues get easier to fix over time.

Colin Murray says there are break clauses in the TCA, and the police element could break down in a relatively short period (in theory).

Ctte Chair Simon Hoare says thats not going to happen in real world, as all countries committed co-operation. No “wide open Serengetti” between legal systems for criminals to exploit.

Prof Valsamis says UK and Germany biggest users of Europol, was successful export of UK model of intelligence led policing

Bob Stewart MP says he was actually subject of Interpol warrant in 2005 - “I was entirely innocent”. “they all say that, Bob!”, says chairman Simon Hoare

Steve Peers says new extradition arraignment opens new options for defence lawyers resisting request, including Human Rights guarantees and the political offences exemption, where there is history with Ireland

Dr Davies says UK and Ireland will have to “be very clear about how they executed arrest warrants to ensure they are dealt with as soon as possible”.

Dr Murray says extradition practice now is founded on evolution of jurisprudence since late 1980s, and is not conditional on nature of relations between police forces of political background.

Steve Peers suggests gaps in information systems (between SIS II and Interpol alerts) could be filled in by developing software so that countries like IRL (with which UK does a lot of JHA business) would routinely carry out additional checks

This would go some way to prevent wanted suspects slipping though the gaps

Steve Peers says political offences defence should not be too problematic - says there is a “Terrorism Carve Out” in CTA so defence claim does not apply. Says it continues for other “political issues”, such as Catalan politician in Scotland