For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
July 11, 2002
Message to the Senate of the United States
With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to
ratification, I transmit herewith the Agreement between the Government
of the United States of America and the Government of Ireland on Mutual
Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, signed at Washington on January
18, 2001. I transmit also, for the information of the Senate, the
report of the Department of State with respect to the Treaty.
The Treaty is one of a series of modern mutual legal assistance
treaties being negotiated by the United States in order to counter
criminal activities more effectively. The Treaty should be an
effective tool to assist in the prosecution of a wide variety of
crimes, including terrorism, drug trafficking, fraud, and other
white-collar offenses. The Treaty is self-executing.
The Treaty provides for a broad range of cooperation in criminal
matters. Mutual assistance available under the Treaty includes:
taking the testimony or statements of persons; providing documents,
records, and articles of evidence; locating or identifying persons;
serving documents; transferring persons in custody for testimony or
other purposes; executing requests for searches and seizures;
identifying, tracing, freezing, seizing, and forfeiting the proceeds
and instrumentalities of crime and assistance in related proceedings;
and such other assistance as may be agreed.
I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration
to the Treaty and give its advice and consent to ratification.
GEORGE W. BUSH
THE WHITE HOUSE,
July 11, 2002.
# # #
|