Ministers will no longer have the power to decide appeals in extradition cases, under plans unveiled by Theresa May.
The home secretary is seeking to change the law so that judges decide whether appeals on human rights grounds should be approved.
Judges’ decisions on whether to extradite a suspect or prosecute them in the UK will also be made more transparent, Mrs May added.
This would ensure decisions were “fair and balanced”, she said.
At present, any extradition request is made to the home secretary, who makes an initial ruling on whether it should be rejected immediately on human rights grounds – for example, in cases where a suspect may face torture or the death penalty.
If it is not rejected at this stage, the request is passed to the courts to make a ruling on whether it should be granted.
The government’s proposed amendments to the Crime and Courts Bill will not change this.