Published: 25 September 2020
Last updated: 4 March 2024
AT MOST, MONDAY’S DECISION by the Jerusalem District Court to extradite alleged sex offender Malka Leifer to Australia can be viewed as the beginning of the end of the saga, but not the end itself.
Leifer will not be extradited for at least several months, and if the case is not expedited, her extradition could take more than a year.
There still are three roadblocks that can slow her extradition if she exploits every defence procedure as expected.
First, Leifer can appeal the extradition to the Supreme Court. She already sat before the Supreme Court once in July to appeal the lower court’s decision that found her mentally fit for extradition on 74 counts of sexual abuse and rape of minors.
But that decision was only on the important but narrow issue of competency. It did not take into account all details that led to the Jerusalem District Court’s final extradition decision on Monday.
After that, Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn must sign her extradition order. He is expected to expedite that process. But expediting could mean weeks or a couple of months, as Nissenkorn and his staff still have an obligation to review all of the case’s parameters.
Finally, Leifer can appeal Nissenkorn’s decision in the Supreme Court again, this time sitting in its capacity as the High Court of Justice.
FULL STORY Malka Leifer saga far from over (Jerusalem Post)
