Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou wins bid to delay extradition hearing by three months, throwing marathon case into turmoil

Huawei Technologies executive Meng Wanzhou has won an application to adjourn her Canadian extradition case for more than three months in light of new evidence being provided by the bank HSBC, throwing the schedule for the already-marathon case into disarray.

The final phase of the legal battle, which has lasted 28 months and has upended China’s relations with Canada and the US, had been scheduled to begin next week. But Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes ruled in the Supreme Court of British Columbia on Wednesday that Meng’s bid to adjourn the case should be granted so the defence can examine the bank documents they believe may be relevant.

Meng’s lawyers had said on Monday that some of the material has already been provided by HSBC, with more expected to be delivered over the next six weeks.

Holmes vacated three weeks of court hearings scheduled from April 26 to May 14. She ordered them rescheduled on or about August 3.

The decision scrambles the end game for the case. Holmes, Meng’s lawyers and the Canadian government lawyers representing US interests will hold a conference on April 28 to chart a new path forward.

In her brief oral ruling, which included no reasons for the decision, Holmes said new applications resulting from the HSBC evidence would have to be made before August 3. Written reasons for the decision would be forthcoming, she said.

HSBC agreed to turn over documents to Meng – who is Huawei’s chief financial officer and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei – after settling a case with her in the High Court of Hong Kong. Previously, HSBC had defeated another request to turn over the material in the British courts.