Gary McKinnon's leave to appeal to the UK Supreme Court decision expected 9am Friday 9th October 2009

Gary McKinnon and his family and supporters are yet again awaiting a legal procedural decision about whether or not his case can go forward to be heard by the new UK Supreme Court, or not.

This decision (made behind closed doors, by the legal bureaucracy) is expected tomorrow, Friday 9th October 2009 at 9am.

In theory , even then, the actual Supreme Court could decide to listen to the application to be heard, and then reject this, much as the European court of Human Rights in Strasbourg did., but hopefully, the behind the scenes legal network will have sorted things out and if , given the legal precedent of the Ian Norris case, permission is granted to apply to the UK Supreme Court, then there should be no reason for them to refuse to hear the case.

When they hear it, is another matter.

The USA extradition case of Ian Norris, which also has human rights and medical aspects (prostate cancer), is scheduled to be heard by the new UK Supreme Court on the 30th November 2009. - see the schedule of future sittings (.pdf)

If permission is granted tomorrow, then that would make it unlikely for the Supreme Court to try to squeeze Gary McKinnon's case in this Michaelmas Term (Thursday 1st October 2009 to Monday 21st December 2009), unless, of course, the Home Office try to deport him to the USA anyway.

It is more likely that they will schedule a hearing for the Hilary Term (Monday 11th January 2010 to Wednesday 31st March 2010), or even later.