Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

There has been much debate recently in the Chamber regarding the issue of Irish neutrality. Sadly, we are not neutral, but have taken sides, and the Irish people are becoming more aware of this. It would be great if we could become a leader, not a follower, in the international community. The implementation of universal jurisdiction in Irish law would give us the power to try war criminals such as Tony Blair, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Binyamin Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin for their horrendous crimes. I came across a quote from Henry Kissinger on universal jurisdiction:

Any universal system should contain procedures not only to punish the wicked but also to constrain the righteous. It must not allow legal principles to be used as weapons to settle political scores.

It is interesting that he said this, given that he was largely responsible for the deaths of 600,000 innocent people in Cambodia, when the US bombed the living daylights out of the country between 1969 and 1973. He is wanted for questioning in France, Chile and Argentina on these charges. Later, he said universal jurisdiction was a breach of each state's sovereignty, which translates as, the US can do what it likes when it likes where it likes, and if people do not like it, tough.

This is a good reason for us to introduce the Bill and stand up for human rights and justice.

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