PART III
GENERAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE

33. Response to requests -

(2) Before deciding to postpone or refuse a request the Minister shall consult with the ICC to ascertain whether the assistance sought could be provided subject to conditions or at a later date or in an alternative manner.

(3) If the Minister decides, in accordance with the Statute and this Act, to refuse or postpone the assistance requested, in whole or in part, the notification to the ICC shall set out the reasons for the decision.

(4) If the request for assistance cannot be executed for any other reason, the Minister shall set out in the notification to the ICC, the reasons for the inability to execute the request.

PART IV
ARREST AND SURRENDER OF PERSON TO ICC

38. Refusal of request for arrest and surrender -

(1) The Minister shall refuse a request for arrest and surrender, at any time before the surrender of the person, only if –

(a) the ICC has determined that the case to which the request relates is inadmissible on any ground; or
(b) the ICC advises that it does not intend to proceed with the request for any reason, including but not limited to a determination by the ICC that article 98 of the Statute applies to the execution of the request.

(2) The Minister may refuse a request for arrest and surrender of a person, at any time before the surrender of the person only if –

(a) there is a competing request from one or more States not party to the Statute for the extradition of the person for the same conduct as that which constitutes the crime for which the ICC seeks the person’s surrender and a decision to extradite to a State is made in accordance with article 90 of the Statute and section 40; or
(b) there is a competing request from one or more States not party to the Statute for the extradition of the person for different conduct from that which constitutes the crime for which the ICC requests the person’s surrender and a decision to extradite to a State is made in accordance with article 90 of the Statute and section 40.

(3) If the Minister decides to refuse a request for arrest and surrender in accordance with subsection (1) or (2) after the Minister has transmitted a request under section 36, the Minister shall notify the Judge who shall cancel any warrant or delivery order issued by the Judge and ensure the person’s release from custody or conditions prescribed in relation to bail arising from that warrant or order.

PART IV
ARREST AND SURRENDER OF PERSON TO ICC


41. Official capacity not a bar to arrest and surrender -

Subject to section 32, the existence of any immunity or special procedural rule attaching, under domestic or international law, to a person shall not be a ground for –

(a) refusing or postponing a request by the ICC for the arrest and surrender of that person; or
(b) holding that that person is ineligible for arrest and surrender to the ICC.

PART V
REQUESTS FOR OTHER TYPES OF ASSISTANCE


75. Refusal of request -

(1) The Minister shall refuse a request for assistance under this Part only if -

(a) the ICC has determined that the case to which the request relates is inadmissible on any ground;
(b) the ICC advises that it does not intend to proceed with the request for any reason, including but not limited to a determination of the ICC that article
98(1) of the Statute applies to the execution of the request;
(c) the assistance sought is outside the listed types of assistance set out in article 93 (1) and the provision of the assistance is prohibited by the law of Samoa and the ICC does not accept the conditions, as contemplated by article 93 (5) of the Statute, subject to which the Minister was willing to provide the assistance; or
(d) the execution of a particular measure of assistance is prohibited in Samoa on the basis of an existing fundamental legal principle of general application and the ICC does not accept the conditions, as contemplated by article 93 (5) of the Statute, subject to which the Minister was willing to provide the assistance.

(2) The Minister may refuse a request for assistance under this Part of this Act only if -

(a) there are competing requests for assistance from the ICC and a state and the Minister has decided, in consultation with the ICC and the state, that it is not possible to execute both requests and has decided further to proceed with the execution of the request of the state, in accordance with the principles established by article 90 of the Statute and section 40; or
(b) the refusal is authorised under Part VII.

(3) If the Minister decides to refuse a request for assistance in accordance with subsection (1) or (2) after the Minister has transmitted the request to the Attorney General, the Minister shall inform that agency not to take any further steps to execute the request.

PART V
REQUESTS FOR OTHER TYPES OF ASSISTANCE


78. Procedure before refusing assistance -

Before denying a request for assistance under the provisions of this Act, the Minister shall consider whether the assistance can be provided subject to specified conditions, or whether the assistance can be provided at a later date or in an alternative manner, provided that if the Court or the Prosecutor accepts the assistance subject to conditions, the Court or the Prosecutor shall abide by them.

Article 90
Competing requests
1. A State Party which receives a request from the Court for the surrender of a person under article 89 shall, if it also receives a request from any other State for the extradition of the same person for the same conduct which forms the basis of the crime for which the Court seeks the person's surrender, notify the Court and the requesting State of that fact.
2. Where the requesting State is a State Party, the requested State shall give priority to the request from the Court if:
(a) The Court has, pursuant to article 18 or 19, made a determination that the case in respect of which surrender is sought is admissible and that determination takes into account the investigation or prosecution conducted by the requesting State in respect of its request for extradition; or
(b) The Court makes the determination described in subparagraph (a) pursuant to the requested State's notification under paragraph 1.
3. Where a determination under paragraph 2 (a) has not been made, the requested State may, at its discretion, pending the determination of the Court under paragraph 2 (b), proceed to deal with the request for extradition from the requesting State but shall not extradite the person until the Court has determined that the case is inadmissible. The Court's determination shall be made on an expedited basis.
4. If the requesting State is a State not Party to this Statute the requested State, if it is not under an international obligation to extradite the person to the requesting State, shall give priority to the request for surrender from the Court, if the Court has determined that the case is admissible.
5. Where a case under paragraph 4 has not been determined to be admissible by the Court, the requested State may, at its discretion, proceed to deal with the request for extradition from the requesting State.
6. In cases where paragraph 4 applies except that the requested State is under an existing international obligation to extradite the person to the requesting State not Party to this Statute, the requested State shall determine whether to surrender the person to the Court or extradite the person to the requesting State. In making its decision, the requested State shall consider all the relevant factors, including but not limited to:
(a) The respective dates of the requests;
(b) The interests of the requesting State including, where relevant, whether the crime was committed in its territory and the nationality of the victims and of the person sought; and
(c) The possibility of subsequent surrender between the Court and the requesting State.
7. Where a State Party which receives a request from the Court for the surrender of a person also receives a request from any State for the extradition of the same person for conduct other than that which constitutes the crime for which the Court seeks the person's surrender:
(a) The requested State shall, if it is not under an existing international obligation to extradite the person to the requesting State, give priority to the request from the Court;
(b) The requested State shall, if it is under an existing international obligation to extradite the person to the requesting State, determine whether to surrender the person to the Court or to extradite the person to the requesting State. In making its decision, the requested State shall consider all the relevant factors, including but not limited to those set out in paragraph 6, but shall give special consideration to the relative nature and gravity of the conduct in question.
8. Where pursuant to a notification under this article, the Court has determined a case to be inadmissible, and subsequently extradition to the requesting State is refused, the requested State shall notify the Court of this decision.

Article 93
Other forms of cooperation
4. In accordance with article 72, a State Party may deny a request for assistance, in whole or in part, only if the request concerns the production of any documents or disclosure of evidence which relates to its national security.