FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AG MONDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1996 (202) 514-2008 TDD (202) 514-1888 U.S - BRITAIN RATIFY BILATERAL ANTI-CRIME AGREEMENT LONDON, ENGLAND -- Attorney General Janet Reno and British Home Secretary Michael Howard today exchanged instruments of ratification for a new bilateral Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty at a ceremony at the U.S. Ambassador's residence in London, England. "This treaty will help ensure that those who commit crimes in either country will be prosecuted," Attorney General Reno said. "It will serve as an important tool in the fight against transnational crime." The new Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty will strengthen the relationship between the Justice Department and the Home Office and will increase the ability of Britain and America to provide assistance to each other. Specifically, the treaty provides a mechanism for obtaining evidence, including testimony, on a wide variety of offenses. It also provides for the freezing and forfeiture of the proceeds of serious crime. ### 96-572