Government publishes bill making final law changes necessary to ratify Istanbul Convention

The Criminal Law (Extraterritorial Jurisdiction) Bill 2018 will allow for individuals who commit particular offences abroad will be liable to be prosecuted under Irish law.

These include offences under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997 and the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act 1990, as well as murder and manslaughter.

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said the bill is “the final piece of legislation required” to allow Ireland to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combatting Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, known as the Istanbul Convention.

Ireland signed the convention on 5 November 2015 following the Government’s approval of an 18-step action plan for ratification in October 2015.

The Domestic Violence Act 2018, the Criminal Justice (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 and the Victims of Crime Act 2017 have helped make “significant progress in ensuring Ireland can ratify this convention”, Mr Flanagan said.

He added: “This is a short but very technical Bill that will enable Ireland to be fully compliant with the provisions of the Istanbul Convention.

“I would urge Deputies and Senators from all sides of the Houses to take a constructive approach to debates and to enable speedy enactment of this Bill before Christmas. This will allow us to ratify the Istanbul Convention early in 2019.”