A courtroom showdown over the extradition of Nazar Mohamed and his son, Azruddin Mohamed, escalated on Monday as Jamaican King’s Counsel Terrence Williams urged the magistrate to dismiss the defence’s constitutional application, describing it as “premature and without merit.”

The Mohameds, through their legal team, are challenging the constitutionality of Section 8 3(a) and Section 8 3(b) of the 2009 amendments to the Fugitive Offenders Act.

They argue that the provisions are inconsistent with the Constitution of Guyana and unlawfully restrict fundamental rights, including their right to liberty and access to due legal process.

As part of their challenge, the defence has asked the magistrate to refer the constitutional questions to the High Court for determination.

But Williams countered that established judicial precedent requires such challenges to be raised only after extradition proceedings have concluded.

Entertaining them at this stage, he argued, would serve no legitimate purpose other than to stall the ongoing process.

He insisted that the application is “frivolous and vexatious,” stressing that the court should not allow constitutional objections to interrupt the procedural steps governing extradition.

The magistrate is expected to deliver a ruling on the defence’s application on Wednesday.