The former UK Chief Executive, Ian Norris, 67, faced a defeat on Wednesday in his attempt to avoid extradition to face possible charges in the US. The Supreme Court is reported to have disapproved an appeal by Ian Norris, the former Chief Executive of engineering group Morgan Crucible.

In November last year, Mr. Norris extended an appeal against those rulings to the new Supreme Court, arguing that extradition would pose damage to his and his wife's mental and physical health that it would be incompatible with his right to private and family life under the European Convention on Human Rights.

The case will refuel concerns about the long arm of the US justice system which has resulted in consternation among the UK business community.

"It is for this reason that only the gravest effects of interference with family life will be capable of rendering extradition disproportionate to the public interest it serves. This is not such a case", Lord Phillips said in the judgment.

Lord Phillips, President of the Supreme Court, and eight other justices annulled all these arguments revealing that the consequences of sort of interference with human rights would have to be exceptionally serious to avoid extradition.