Timeline: key events in McKinnon case
Updated on 31 July 2009
A history of the case of computer hacker Gary McKinnon, who has been living under the threat of prosecution in the US for nearly seven years.
2001-2002
1 Feb 2001 - 19 Mar 2002: Computer expert Gary McKinnon allegedly hacks into 97 US government computers from his home in north London.
He is accused of leaving 300 computers at US Naval Weapons Station Earle in New Jersey unusable immediately after the 9/11 terror attacks on America in 2001.
US prosecutors also allege he deleted files which shut down the US Army's military district of Washington DC network of more than 2,000 computers for 24 hours.
Mr McKinnon later denies causing any damage and says he was only looking for files that would prove the existence of UFOs.
2002
19 Mar and 8 Aug: Mr McKinnon is interviewed about his hacking by the UK's National Hi-Tech Crime Unit at the request of the US government.
31 Oct: A warrant is issued for the computer expert's arrest by the District Court of New Jersey in the US.
12 Nov: A US federal grand jury in Virginia indicts him on seven counts of computer-related crimes in 14 states, each count carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Paul McNulty, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, says: "Mr McKinnon is charged with the biggest military computer hack of all time."
2004
12 Aug: Another warrant is issued for Mr McKinnon's arrest by the District Court of the Eastern District of Virginia.
7 Oct: The American government files a request for his extradition.
2005
31 Mar: A warrant for Mr McKinnon's arrest is issued by Bow Street Magistrates' Court.
7 Jun: Officers from Scotland Yard's extradition unit arrest the computer expert at his north London home.
8 Jun: Mr McKinnon is granted bail when he appears at Bow Street Magistrates' Court.
2006
10 May: District Judge Nicholas Evans says Mr McKinnon should be recommended for extradition but passes the case to then Home Secretary John Reid for a final decision.
4 Jul: Mr Reid signs an order for him to be extradited to the US.
2007
3 Apr: Mr McKinnon loses an attempt to appeal against his extradition at the High Court.
2008
30 Jul: The Law Lords dismiss a further appeal bid by the computer expert.
25 Aug: Mr McKinnon is diagnosed as suffering from Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism.
28 Aug: The European Court of Human Rights refuses an application to stay the extradition pending an appeal to the court.
13 Sep: Then Home Secretary Jacqui Smith rejects a request from Mr McKinnon's legal team to stop the extradition on the grounds of his Asperger's diagnosis.
24 Dec: The hacker's solicitor, Karen Todner, writes to Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer requesting that her client be prosecuted in the UK on a lesser charge.
2009
23 Jan: Mr McKinnon wins permission in the High Court to seek judicial review of Ms Smith's decision that his extradition should go ahead.
26 Feb: The Crown Prosecution Service announces that it will not bring charges against the hacker in Britain.
16 Mar: Human rights campaigner and former Middle East hostage Terry Waite calls on the US to drop charges.
9 Jun: Lawyers for Mr McKinnon begin seeking a judicial review of Ms Smith's decision. His QC, Edward Fitzgerald, says the extradition could trigger psychosis or suicide and Ms Smith "underestimated the gravity of the situation".
6 Jul: Lord Carlile, the Home Office's adviser on terror laws, says extraditing Mr McKinnon would be "cruel and unconscionable" when he could be prosecuted in the UK.
14 Jul: Mr McKinnon makes a last-ditch bid at the High Court to force the Government into allowing a trial in the UK, challenging a refusal by the director of public prosecutions to sanction a trial in this country.
31 Jul: Two High Court judges are expected to give the results of the judicial review.
