Criminal Law Jurisdiction Act and review
Kennedy asks whether the extradition affair will affect the review and whether the Act will be raised with Britain. Lenihan says he has repeatedly raised its use and will do so again, arguing that it can address cases causing contention without derailing the review.
I hope that the extradition affair between Britain and Ireland will not damage the important work of the review. Will the Minister clarify whether the work of the review is only taking place at official level, whether any joint initiative was agreed between the British Prime Minister, Mrs. Thatcher, and the Taoiseach, Deputy Haughey, at their recent bilateral meeting in Rhodes and whether the issue of the operation of the Criminal Law (Jurisdiction) Act by the British side will be raised at the Anglo-Irish Conference meeting tomorrow in view of the Attorney General's findings in the Ryan affair?
Comment on this
I will answer the last point first. At recent meetings of the Conference we have brought the utilisation of the Criminal Law (Jurisdiction) Act to the top of the agenda. I would again propose tomorrow to raise it and to point out the efficacy of it in dealing with many of these cases which otherwise have caused contention and sensationalism——
Comment on this
——and have affected relations between these islands by reason of that sensationalism. The Criminal Law (Jurisdiction) Act should be operated to a far greater degree that heretofore. It represents a way in which many of these cases can be dealt with. I am not privy to what takes place between the Taoiseach and Mrs. Thatcher at their private meetings. Regarding the first point made by Deputy Kennedy, I am certain that the review process will continue and that the Conference will continue its effective operations, despite certain views that are held in regard to extradition and the proper utilisation of the Criminal Law (Jurisdiction) Act.