The United States sought the extradition of the respondent for conspiracy to export high-technology equipment to the U.S.S.R. and for a scheme to defraud a computer corporation.
The extradition judges committed the respondent, but the British Columbia Court of Appeal granted habeas corpus, holding that the offences must be listed in the extradition treaty according to both Canadian and U.S. law.
The Supreme Court of Canada allowed the appeals, holding that the extradition judge's role is limited to determining whether a prima facie case exists that the conduct constitutes an extradition crime according to Canadian law, and does not require proof of foreign law.
