On 12 November 1997, Ronnie Biggs, the notorious figure behind the 1963 mail train robbery, celebrated a major legal victory in Brazil. The country’s Supreme Court in Rio de Janeiro rejected a British request to extradite him, ruling that under Brazilian law crimes committed more than 20 years earlier could not be subject to extradition. Biggs had been part of the 15-strong gang that stole over £2.5 million in what became known as "The Great Train Robbery."

At the time, a spokesperson for the Supreme Court confirmed that the ruling was final and could not be appealed by the British Government. Biggs himself described his feelings in his own words, saying he was "totally elated and relieved" that the years of uncertainty were over. "Finally I can get on with the rest of my life," he said, marking the end of decades-long legal anxiety.

In London, officials expressed disappointment at the court’s decision. A spokesman for the Home Office described it as "very disappointed," while former Scotland Yard detective Jack Slipper, who had been involved in the investigation following the robbery, told the BBC he was not surprised. "It's a long time since the offence was committed and Biggs is an old man. I can't see any point in bringing him back," Mr Slipper said at the time.

By November 1997, Biggs had been living in Rio de Janeiro for 27 years, having escaped from Wandsworth Prison in London just 15 months into a 30-year sentence. He first fled to Australia, remaining in hiding until 1970 before moving to Brazil, where he had managed to evade extradition despite decades of pursuit.

His legal situation had only become a real possibility earlier that year, in August, when Britain and Brazil formally ratified an extradition treaty. Despite this development, the Supreme Court’s decision on 12 November 1997 allowed Biggs to remain in Brazil, free from the threat of returning to serve his sentence in the United Kingdom.