Canadian ruling that could set Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou free is complicated by coronavirus pandemic

A key ruling on whether Meng’s extradition case meets test of ‘double criminality’ will be delivered to the media in a socially distanced courthouse lock-up

A hearing on Monday was conducted remotely, with Meng and lawyers attending by teleconference

Reading Time:3 minutes

Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou pictured on October 3 outside her Vancouver home. Photo: AP

Published: 3:09am, 28 Apr 2020Updated: 5:54am, 25 Dec 2021

A Canadian court has settled on a strategy to release a key ruling on the fate of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou that is likely to draw worldwide attention but has been complicated by the coronavirus outbreak.

Meng, who is currently under partial house arrest in Vancouver, could be set free by the Supreme Court of British Columbia if Justice Heather Holmes decides that the extradition case against her fails the test of “double criminality”.

Meng was arrested at Vancouver’s airport more than 16 months ago to face trial for fraud in the US, but Holmes must first be convinced the US charges would also constitute a crime in Canada, according to its extradition rules.

On Monday, Holmes decided at a case management hearing that the media, Meng’s lawyers and the Canadian government lawyers arguing for extradition would be given three days’ notice of her double-criminality ruling. At a March 30 hearing, Holmes had said that decision “is not going to be released in the near future”.

Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei, leaves British Columbia Supreme Court in Vancouver on January 23. Photo: The Canadian Press via AP

On the day of the ruling, the lawyers would get to see a written copy at 9am. At 10am they would be allowed to inform Meng and other interested parties, including the attorney general of Canada, the US Department of Justice and the Canada Border Services Agency.