Vol. 547 No. 1
920 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the legislative and administrative measures required to be taken to establish the Rome Statute enabling the International Criminal Court to be ratified; and when this will be implemented. [1244/02]
The Statute of the International Criminal Court was concluded at Rome on 17 July 1998 and was signed, subject to ratification, by Ireland on 7 October 1998. It will enter into force approximately two months after 60 states have become party to it. My information is that, to date, 139 states have signed the statute and of these 49 have ratified it.
Following the successful outcome of the constitutional referendum last year a detailed examination of the statute is taking place in my Department in conjunction with the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Attorney General's office so as to determine the precise nature and scope of the legal and administrative measures which will need to be taken so that we can fulfil our obligations. In spite of some unavoidable interruptions in this work, arising from the need to tackle other urgent international legislative initiatives following the 11 September atrocity, substantial progress has been made and I would hope to be in a position to have legislative proposals ready for submission to Government relatively soon. However, I remind the Deputy that while the constitutional referendum was passed by a large majority, the Bill enacting the constitutional change has yet to be signed by the President. The Bill cannot be signed until a referendum petition, concerning prisoners' voting rights, which is under appeal to the Supreme Court is decided. I understand that the appeal is due to be heard next month.
