Latest news with #BlinneNíGhrálaigh
Irish Independent
15-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Israelis urge Ireland to ban trade with illegal settlements on Palestinian land as Shatter criticises ‘Father Ted-like' bill
A former attorney general, several ex-ambassadors and various cultural prize winners have written to an Oireachtas committee to voice their support for a ban on such trade. After being urged for years to enact the Occupied Territories Bill, which was first tabled in 2018 and would ban trade with all illegally occupied territories, fresh legislation to enact a ban was introduced this year. The Israeli Settlements (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025 is going through parliamentary scrutiny and is before the Foreign Affairs Committee. Last week, Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh, a member of the South African legal team accusing Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), told the committee the bill was 'a minimum required for compliance by Ireland with its international obligations'. The Irish Government said there is a narrow legal basis, based on an advisory opinion from the UN's top court, to ban the trade with illegal Israeli settlements. The ICJ said last July that countries should 'take steps to prevent trade or investment relations' that maintain illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land. The Government is to ban the trade of goods but has indicated services are more legally complex. In a letter to the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee, 12 prominent Israeli figures urged Ireland to enact the ban on trade – of both goods and services – and for other European nations to follow suit. 'As citizens of Israel who believe that the end of the illegal Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories is the key to achieving peace between our two peoples, we welcome Ireland's advancement of the bill banning imports from Israeli settlements,' it said. We stand with Ireland as it moves ahead and urge other European states to follow suit Among the signatories are former Israeli attorney general Michael Ben-Yair, former director general of the Israeli foreign affairs ministry Dr Alon Liel, former ambassadors, ex-members of the Knesset and Israel Prize recipients. ADVERTISEMENT 'Successive Israeli governments' outright defiance of international law has been enabled by the international community's failure to move from rhetoric to action,' they said. 'The Irish Government is to be commended for taking a stand to halt Israeli settlements from benefiting from the fruit of the poisonous tree. 'The ICJ was clear: all states are obligated 'not to render aid or assistance' that helps maintain the Israeli presence in the OPT [Occupied Palestinian Territory]. 'Accordingly, it is essential that Ireland comply with the ICJ advisory opinion by banning trade with the illegal settlements not only in goods but also in services. 'We expect the parliamentary committee to fulfil its responsibility to uphold the rules-based order by moving the bill forward toward its enactment in a timely manner. 'We stand with Ireland as it moves ahead and urge other European states to follow suit.' This afternoon, several representatives of Palestinian and Israeli groups are due before the committee, including former justice minister Alan Shatter, who is a board member of the Israel Council on Foreign Relations. Ex-Fine Gael TD Mr Shatter has criticised the government's draft laws to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian lands. Ahead of appearing before a committee to discuss the legislation, he described it as a 'Father Ted' measure and compared it to the targeting of Jews during the Second World War. Responding to the comments, Fine Gael leader Mr Harris said 'there's nothing funny or humorous' about the killing of children in Gaza. A bill that would ban the trade of goods with illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land is progressing through the Oireachtas. The Irish Government said there is a narrow legal basis, based on an advisory opinion from the UN's top court, to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) said last July that countries should 'take steps to prevent trade or investment relations' that maintain illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land. The Government is to ban the trade of goods, but has indicated services are more legally complex. The foreign affairs committee is due to hear evidence in relation to the bill from Israeli, Palestinian and Jewish representatives on Tuesday, including Mr Shatter. Mr Shatter told Newstalk radio on Tuesday morning that the bill was 'a Father Ted-like provision' that had 'no relevance' to resolving the conflict. He said it would indicate the Irish government believes that 'no Jewish person should reside or work in East Jerusalem or on the West Bank'. 'So this will be for the first time, a bill enacted by a European parliament which specifically targets Jews,' he said. 'We haven't had that since the end of the Nazi regime in 1945.' Mr Harris told the same radio station that the Irish Government can differentiate between a people and their government, and that the actions of the Israeli government are 'despicable'. 'I deplore antisemitism, so does everybody in this country, but you know what, I take views of one of the highest courts in the world much more seriously.' He referred to the ICJ opinion and said the EU is recognising that member states can enact domestic legislation in relation to it. 'People in Ireland want to do everything we can to try and see a ceasefire, see humanitarian aid flow and see a two-state solution,' Mr Harris said. 'There's nothing funny or humorous about genocide and there's nothing humorous or funny about children queuing in Gaza today for food and water who are at risk of being shot dead by the IDF. 'There's a genocide happening in (Gaza), references to Father Ted and the likes, they might be humorous soundbites but there's nothing funny about the slaughter of children.'
Irish Independent
15-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Israelis urge Ireland to ban trade with illegal settlements on Palestinian land
A former attorney general, several ex-ambassadors and various cultural prize winners have written to an Oireachtas committee to voice their support for a ban on such trade. After being urged for years to enact the Occupied Territories Bill, which was first tabled in 2018 and would ban trade with all illegally occupied territories, fresh legislation to enact a ban was introduced this year. The Israeli Settlements (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025 is going through parliamentary scrutiny and is before the Foreign Affairs Committee. Last week, Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh, a member of the South African legal team accusing Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), told the committee the bill was 'a minimum required for compliance by Ireland with its international obligations'. The Irish Government said there is a narrow legal basis, based on an advisory opinion from the UN's top court, to ban the trade with illegal Israeli settlements. The ICJ said last July that countries should 'take steps to prevent trade or investment relations' that maintain illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land. The Government is to ban the trade of goods but has indicated services are more legally complex. In a letter to the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee, 12 prominent Israeli figures urged Ireland to enact the ban on trade – of both goods and services – and for other European nations to follow suit. 'As citizens of Israel who believe that the end of the illegal Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories is the key to achieving peace between our two peoples, we welcome Ireland's advancement of the bill banning imports from Israeli settlements,' it said. We stand with Ireland as it moves ahead and urge other European states to follow suit Among the signatories are former Israeli attorney general Michael Ben-Yair, former director general of the Israeli foreign affairs ministry Dr Alon Liel, former ambassadors, ex-members of the Knesset and Israel Prize recipients. ADVERTISEMENT 'Successive Israeli governments' outright defiance of international law has been enabled by the international community's failure to move from rhetoric to action,' they said. 'The Irish Government is to be commended for taking a stand to halt Israeli settlements from benefiting from the fruit of the poisonous tree. 'The ICJ was clear: all states are obligated 'not to render aid or assistance' that helps maintain the Israeli presence in the OPT [Occupied Palestinian Territory]. 'Accordingly, it is essential that Ireland comply with the ICJ advisory opinion by banning trade with the illegal settlements not only in goods but also in services. 'We expect the parliamentary committee to fulfil its responsibility to uphold the rules-based order by moving the bill forward toward its enactment in a timely manner. 'We stand with Ireland as it moves ahead and urge other European states to follow suit.'
Irish Post
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Post
Human rights lawyer Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh ‘honoured' to join team at University of Galway
LEADING human rights lawyer Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh has been appointed as adjunct professor at the University of Galway. The barrister, who is based at the Matrix Chambers in London, said it was an 'honour' to take up the role. 'It is such an honour to be invited to join the University of Galway as Adjunct Professor,' she said this week. 'At a time when the very fundamentals of international law are under such extreme threat globally, I look forward to working alongside such dedicated colleagues to instill in the next generation of lawyers coming through, a steadfast commitment to justice and to upholding human rights for all,' she added. Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh's parents hail from Dublin and Mayo Ms Ní Ghrálaigh, who specialises in international law, civil liberties, human rights, protest law and international criminal law, has played a pivotal role in numerous high profile human rights cases over the years. They include the Bloody Sunday Inquiry, the Hooded Men case and that of the Coventry-based Keane family, who fought to have their mother's grave inscribed with a message in Irish. She is currently on the legal team representing Kneecap band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh who is fighting a terror offence charge issued by the Metropolitan Police. Ms Ní Ghrálaigh is called to the Bars of England and Wales, and Ireland, North and South, and is on the International Criminal Court's List of Counsel. At international level, Ms Ní Ghrálaigh was a member of the legal team which represented South Africa before the International Court of Justice in the case taken against Israel under the 1948 Genocide Convention. She has also represented the State of Palestine in advisory proceedings concerning the activities of the United Nations in Palestine. Commenting on the appointment, Professor Siobhán Mullally, Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights at the University of Galway, said 'Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh is an outstanding lawyer, who is at the frontline in legal efforts to defend human rights and uphold international law. "She has inspired many to fight for international justice and it is an honour to have her on our adjunct faculty'. See More: Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh, Matrix Chambers, University Of Galway
BreakingNews.ie
09-07-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Ireland ‘leading the way' with legislation to ban imports from Israel
Ireland has been praised for 'leading the way' in terms of legislation that aims to ban imports from Israeli territories. However, prominent lawyer Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh was critical of the 'narrow focus on goods', adding it risks being 'little more than window dressing'. Advertisement Ms Ní Ghrálaigh, who was a member of the South African legal team accusing Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice, was part of an expert panel to discuss the Occupied Territories Bill at the Irish Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday evening. Irish barrister Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh KC gives evidence to an Oireachtas committee on Wednesday evening (Oireachtas/PA) Tánaiste Simon Harris previously said Ireland is the only country to publish legislation to ban imports from the occupied Palestinian territories, adding he would like to see other European countries consider such a move. The Israeli Settlements (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025 is being scrutinised by the Oireachtas committee. Ms Ní Ghrálaigh described a 'matter of continuing, pressing importance on which Ireland is leading the way'. Advertisement But noting the International Court of Justice's position that Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and must be ended, she said Ireland is 'obligated not to recognise as legal the situation' and 'not to render aid or assistance in maintaining that situation'. She said Ireland must also distinguish in its dealings, including in its trade dealings, between the territory of the State of Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. 'Trade with Israel is trade with the state which has turned Gaza into what the United Nations secretary general describes as a killing field,' she said. She said a revised Bill for the prohibition of trade and services with Israeli settlements and Israeli firms, and the prevention of investment relations which assist in maintaining the illegal situations created by Israel, is 'a minimum required for compliance by Ireland with its international obligations'. Advertisement 'It would transform the draft Bill from what risks being little more than window dressing into a truly impactful precedent-setting piece of legislation,' she said. 'However, full compliance by Ireland with its international obligations in relation to the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory would also require, in addition, a detailed, comprehensive, urgent due diligence audit of all of Ireland's dealings with Israel, not just trade related, but all cultural, diplomatic, economic, financial, political and military relations to ensure that they do not contribute to or otherwise assist in Israel's serious violations of peremptory norms of international law. 'Such a review is long overdue.'
Irish Independent
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Mayo barrister leads defence team for Kneecap at UK court
Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh, originally from Mayo, is part of the defence team for Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh after he was charged under the UKs Terrorism Act last month Coimisiún na Meán Today at 11:24 The trial of Mr Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, better known by his stage name Mo Chara, began at Westminster Magistrates' Court this morning. Kneecap's frontman was charged in May of this year under UK terrorism offences. This came after a video of him appeared online, where he was seen to display a Hezbollah flag during a concert at the Kentish Town Forum on the 21st of November 2024. Leading up his defence team is Mayo-born Barrister Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh. Originally from Glencalry in north Mayo, Ms Ní Ghrálaigh specialises in protest law, international law, civil liberties and human rights. She has an extensive background and is called to the Bars in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales. She is part of Matrix, a barristers chamber in London, and also sits on the International Criminal Court's List of Counsel. Ms Ní Ghrálaigh spent her early years in the town of Glencalry before her family moved to London. A passionate advocate for human rights, this is not her first high-profile court case. She was part of the Palestinian delegation at the ICC, and spoke at the Hauge in April of this year where she stated that Israel had turned Gaza into an, 'uninhabitable wasteland, incapable of sustaining human life'. Ní Ghrálaigh's work in law began prior to her qualifying for the bar, when she worked as part of the legal team representing families of those killed in the Bloody Sunday Inquiry. She is a powerful advocate for human rights and has been described by the Legal 500 as 'a very impressive, intelligent, talented and fearless barrister', who is, 'one of the leading silks of her generation in this area' Mr Ó hAnnaidh's case has gathered a huge amount of attention. Turning up to Westminster Magistrates' court this morning, he was greeted by a crowd of cheering demonstrators waving a mix of Irish tricolour flags, Palestinian flags, and placards reading 'Defend Kneecap, Drop the Charges, Freedom for Palestine'. As the defendant made his way into court, he had to force his way through the supportive assemblage who were chanting 'Free free Palestine' and 'Free Mo Chara now'. The 27-year-old denies the terrorism charge and has branded it as an act of 'political policing'. Kneecap states that the Hezbollah flag was thrown on stage and that they do not endorse the terrorist group. This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
