Attorney General warns Israeli goods bill would be ‘impractical’ to enforce
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Séamus Woulfe SC
Draft legislation to ban Israeli goods from the occupied Palestinian territories in Ireland will be “impractical” to enforce, Attorney General Séamus Woulfe SC has said.
The Occupied Territories Bill was introduced by Independent Senator Frances Black in 2018 and was widely supported, but stalled after the government used the “money message” mechanism to block its progress through the Oireachtas.
The bill has become a sticking point in protracted government formation talks between Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party, the Irish Independent reports.
Fine Gael, which opposes the bill, has cited advice from the Attorney General, who said the criminal offences set out in the bill are “quite vague” and would be “impractical” to enforce, particularly where extradition would be necessary to prosecute importers of Israeli goods.
Mr Woulfe also believes the legislation would be open to constitutional challenge. Other senior lawyers, including Senator Michael McDowell, a former Attorney General, believe it can be legally implemented.
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