Ian Bailey's murder extradition hearing adjourned in High Court

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

The High Court adjourned proceedings concerning the proposed extradition of Ian Bailey to France for the murder of filmmaker Sophie Toscan du Plantier. The proceedings were reported on 20 January 2020. Mr Justice Donald Binchy continued Bailey's bail, and the objections to surrender were listed to be argued before him on 10 February.

Toscan du Plantier's body was found outside her holiday home in Schull in December 1996. The report said Bailey had been convicted of her murder in his absence in a Paris court and sentenced to 25 years. He denied involvement in her death and did not attend or have legal representation at the French proceedings.

Bailey's counsel, Ronan Munro SC, said the objections would focus on fundamental rights and that the two previous extradition attempts were relevant. The second request was dismissed as an abuse of process by the High Court in 2017. Mr Justice Tony Hunt said Ireland's Director of Public Prosecutions had concluded long ago that there was no basis for a charge or trial in Ireland.