BRISBANE—An Australian-based lawyer for Jayant Patel says he is confident the rogue surgeon will receive bail when he returns to Australia to face manslaughter charges.
Brisbane barrister Michael Byrne QC was contacted by Patel "a while ago" to take on the case, Mr Byrne told AAP tonight.
The 58-year-old US surgeon today signed a "consent to extradition" form in the US District Court in Portland, Oregon, confirming he no longer wished to fight the Australian government's attempt to extradite him to Queensland to stand trial.
Patel is facing 16 charges stemming from his time as director of surgery at the Bundaberg Base Hospital between 2003 and 2005, including three manslaughter charges relating to the deaths of patients.
A decision will be made tomorrow in the US District Court whether Patel receives bail while he awaits extradition, which could happen in the coming weeks.
Mr Byrne said the exact timing of Patel's return depended on events in the US.
He said he will be applying for bail in the Brisbane Magistrates Court when Patel does return to the country.
"He's returning voluntarily, I can't see him as a risk of fleeing or being a danger to anyone else, so I would have thought bail were to follow," Mr Byrne said.
Brisbane solicitor Arun Raniga has also taken on Patel's case, and visited his client in a Portland prison two weeks ago.
"He's coping well and he just wants to get things under way," he told the Seven Network.
"He's a good client, he's like any normal client."
Mr Raniga said he was contacted by Patel four months ago to take on the case.
He said he was not confident Patel would receive a fair trial in Queensland due to the intense media coverage throughout the three-year saga.
"I'm not confident about that, I don't think he'll receive a fair trial," Mr Raniga said.
Mr Raniga could not be reached by AAP.
Patel's extradition papers must now be signed off by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, before the paperwork is sent to the Australian government.
It will then be passed to the Queensland Director of Public Prosecutions and Queensland Police Service, who will have 60 days to mount the extradition operation and bring Patel back to Brisbane.
Queensland Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson said today he expected police would act on the extradition as soon as possible.
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