Waiting is never easy, American poet Henry Longfellow once wrote “all things come round to him who will but wait”.
130 years after Longfellows death Richard and Julia O’Dwyer are facing up to a wait that will decide the Sheffield Hallam student’s life. An appeal is being prepared for the High Court and the O’Dwyers are not going to give up in their fight against extradition.
Julia spoke to me in the last few days regarding the Magistrates court ruling allowing for Richard to be extradited and where the case is going from here.
I could further elaborate with words but its easier to grasp the true complexities and challenges of the US Goverment Vs Richard O’Dwyer by watching the video interview below.
Friday has been considered an unlucky day of the week since the Canterbury Tales in the 14th century and many Christians associate it with the day that Jesus died. For Friday the 13th to be considered a day of ill fortune one must look to the first documented version which occurred in Henry Edwards biography of Italian composer Gioachino Rossini. Edwards was aware of the mental and physical illness endured by the composer and wrote that on his death
“Rossini was surrounded to the last by admiring and affectionate friends; Why Friday the 13th Is Unlucky”
144 years on Richard O’Dwyer will await his fate at Westminster Magistrates Court in London hoping that his luck finally turns regarding the controversial website TvShack.net. The extradition case has caught the attention of media as far away as China and Russia and will hopefully come to a conclusion.
Barrister Ben Cooper has been taking the approach that the site worked on linking rather than directly hosting tv shows and movies and so Richard did not commit copyright infringement. In a case that has been compared to that of Gary Mc Kinnon it is yet to be seen what will become of the extradition order on the Sheffield Hallam Student.
His mother Julia spoke with me earlier and said that if the judge rules against her son ” she will look at what options are presented and carry on”. Julia also added that the recent parliamentary discussions and debates on extradition are bringing the issue into the main stream and hopefully this Friday will go against the grain and prove that the 13th can be a lucky day.
With December upon us an anxious six weeks lies in wait for Richard and Julia O’Dwyer.
The creator of the Tvshack.net website is due in court
on January 13th and his mother Julia spoke to me regarding the case.
She says that momentum is building in favour of change with
potentially significant action regarding the issues of extradition law
taking place this coming Monday on the 5th of December; with
politicians and MPs set to vote on a motion that could lead to major
amendments to extradition law in the UK. It is high time that the
government addresses these issues head on and with a forum amendment
already waiting to be enacted there is a glimmer of light at the end
of the tunnel for Richard and the other Britons facing extradition to
the US.
Julia spoke passionately about the current focus on extradition law in
the media, helped in some respected by the high profile cases such of
Gary McKinnon, Babar Ahmad and Julian Assange. She said the knock on
affect of amendments to British extradition law may or may not
directly impact Richard, Babar Ahmad or Christopher Tappin but that it could help
others who may face extradition in the future. Julia hopes any changes
will benefit those currently being pursued for extradition since Sir
Scott Baker at a lawyers debate in London just last week stated any
amendments the government decides to make could be retroactive, in
other words there is no reason why pending cases should not benefit
from any amendments.
In light of the allegations that Richard made money from Tvshack.net
Julia responded by saying he made approximately £150,000
over 3 years 2008 and this was from advertising in common with most
websites and this in itself is not a crime. She also reiterated the need for
British citizens to be tried on British soil and said that there is
cross party support for change and that all we can do is press our
MP’s and hope that changes will be made to protect not only Richard
but many more from a fate that is both terrifying and uncalled for.
Twenty years ago the very thought that something termed the internet could lead to extradition and tear a mothers son away would have been laughed at. Yet in 2011 a Sheffield based student and his mother are facing and fighting a case that first began over a year ago. In a frank and eye opening interview with me, Julia O”Dwyer mother of Richard O’Dwyer the creator of Tvshack.net told me about their journey over the last twelve months.
In a year that has seen Julian Assange of wikileaks heralded as a hero by so many and in an age when politicians have been haunted by misdemeanours on social networking sites the power and influence of the internet is truly reaching beyond any of our wildest imaginations. The Chesterfield post kindly published the interview with Julia http://www.chesterfieldpost.co.uk/news/local/localnews_00000221.html.
For those of you who are more audio visually satisfied the youtube link is on youtube.com/JPMTVUK
Gary Mc Kinnon before Richard faced a similar fate and below are links to inform and assist this student in what is truly the fight of his life.
James P. Mahon 