The EAW provides for the surrender from one EU Member State to another of those accused or convicted of crimes. It replaced existing extradition proceedings between Member States and was designed to speed up and simplify the transfer of suspected criminals and fugitives. Under the provisions of the Lisbon Treaty, the UK had the option to opt out of all of the pre-Lisbon Treaty EU justice and home affairs legislation. In October 2012, the Government confirmed that it would make use of this provision to opt out of approximately 130 measures and that it would seek to opt back into 35, including the EAW. On 1 December 2014 the UK’s opt-out will come into effect (though negotiations are underway to extend that deadline on a transitional basis to 7 December). If the UK has not opted back in by this date, it will no longer be part of the EAW scheme. The issue of the UK’s opt-in, and the EAW in particular, has become an increasingly political topic and entwined with arguments about the EU more generally. The evidence session covered a number of issues relating to the EAW. It juxtaposed the two political arguments on this controversial issue by hearing from Baroness Ludford, in favour of opting in and working to improve the legislation and Jacob Rees-Mogg MP, who opposes the opt-in, calling for an alternative system that is not coming under the competence of the European Union and it remains a matter of UK law.