Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 May 2024
75. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 23 of 7 March 2024, for an update on Ireland’s plans to support South Africa’s case against Israel under the Genocide Convention at the International Court of Justice; if Ireland’s Declaration of Intervention has been filed to date; if not, when it will be filed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20856/24]
View answerAs I set out in response to previous Parliamentary Questions, most recently Question No. 131 of 18 April 2024, Ireland intends to file a Declaration of Intervention in the case initiated by South Africa against Israel under the Genocide Convention at the International Court of Justice only after South Africa has filed its Memorial.
On 5 April, the ICJ made an Order setting time-limits for the filing of written pleadings by the parties in this case. It fixed 28 October 2024 for South Africa to file its Memorial, and 28 July 2025 for Israel to file its Counter-Memorial. It remains our intention to seek to intervene in this case under Article 63 of the Statute of the ICJ after South Africa has filed its Memorial, which we now know will be towards the end of 2024.
By making a declaration of intervention under Article 63 of the ICJ Statute states do not ‘join’ one side or another in the case; rather, they submit a statement that sets out their interpretation of one or more provisions of whatever Convention is at issue before the Court. This Declaration of Intervention must then be deemed admissible by the Court. Waiting until South Africa has filed its Memorial will ensure that we have a good understanding of what provisions of the Genocide Convention South Africa intends to rely on, which we can then in turn address, making it more likely that the Court will deem our intervention admissible.
