Page:Genocide Act 1969.pdf/3

Rh (2) For the purposes of the Acts mentioned in subsection (1) of this section, the Extradition Act 1873 and the Backing of Warrants (Republic of Ireland) Act 1965, no offence which, if committed in the United Kingdom, would be punishable as an offence of genocide or as an attempt, conspiracy or incitement to commit such an offence shall be regarded as an offence of a political character, and no proceedings in respect of such an offence shall be regarded as a criminal matter of a political character.

(3) It shall not be an objection to any proceedings taken against a person by virtue of the preceding provisions of this section that under the law in force at the time when and in the place where he is alleged to have committed the act of which he is accused or of which he was convicted he could not have been punished therefor.

3.—(1) Sections 17 and 22 of the Extradition Act 1870 (which also apply to the Extradition Act 1873), section 12 of the Backing of Warrants (Republic of Ireland) Act 1965 and sections 16 and 17 of the Fugitive Offenders Act 1967 (application to Channel Islands, Isle of Man and United Kingdom dependencies) shall extend respectively to the provisions of this Act amending those Acts.

(2) Her Majesty may by Order in Council make provision for extending the other provisions of this Act, with such exceptions, adaptations or modifications as may be specified in the Order, to any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or any colony, other than a colony for whose external relations a country other than the United Kingdom is responsible.

(3) An Order in Council under this section may be varied or revoked by a subsequent Order in Council.

4.—(1) This Act may be cited as the Genocide Act 1969.

(2) In this Act “the Genocide Convention” means the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide approved by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 9th December 1948.