Procedures

Issue of Warrant

A European Arrest Warrant must be issued by a judge, a magistrate or other person who is authorised under the law (judicial authority) of the issuing country to issue a warrant.

The warrant may be sent by either a central authority or by a judicial authority to the Central Authority in Ireland.


Form of Warrant

The warrant must be set out in the format of the form in the Annex to the Council Framework Decision of 13 June 2002 on the European Arrest Warrant and the surrender procedures between Member States. It must include the following information:

the name and nationality of the person

  • the name, address, telephone number, fax number and e-mail address of the issuing judicial authority if they are available
  • details of the offence or offences, the date, time and the circumstances in which the offences were committed, and the level of involvement of the person
  • the nature of the offence and its legal classification under the law of the issuing country
  • whether the person has been convicted, sentenced, or is liable to be sentenced
  • whether a warrant for the person’s arrest has been issued
  • the sentence which the person would be liable to receive if convicted, or which s/he might receive if already convicted, or the sentence already received

If any of the information required cannot be laid out in the warrant form, it can be set out in a separate document.

 

Procedure if the Person is Wanted for More than One Offence

  • The details of each offence should be set out separately on the warrant form.
  • The High Court will decide if it will make an order to surrender the person for all the offences.
  • The High Court may decide not to make an order for one or some of the offences.

 

Language of Warrant

The warrant must be in writing in either

  • the Irish language
    or
  • the English language


If the warrant is in any other language it must be sent together with a translation into either Irish or English.

 

Where to send a Warrant

The warrant must be sent directly to the Central Authority for the European Arrest Warrant in Ireland at the following address:

The Central Authority for the European Arrest Warrant
Department of Justice and Equality
51 St Stephen’s Green
Dublin 2
Tel:  + 353 1 408 6127
Fax: + 353 1 408 6117

 

Delivery of Warrant

The warrant must be delivered directly to the Central Authority for the European Arrest Warrant either by hand, by post or by fax. In the case of a faxed version, the Central Authority may ask for an original or a certified copy to be sent by post before presenting the warrant to the High Court.

 


Warrants Containing Insufficient information

If further information is needed to act on the warrant, the Central Authority will set out in a letter the information needed and the time limit for receiving it. The information requested must be sent in writing in either Irish or English, together with a translation into either Irish or English if in another language, to the Central Authority.