LONDON: Northern Ireland’s Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald is reportedly facing a legal challenge over her decision to exclude the region from UK trade talks with Israel and instruct officials not to assist companies supplying arms to the country.
The pre-action protocol letter, issued by pro-Union think tank Unionist Voice Policy Studies, claims the Sinn Fein minister acted beyond her powers, as international trade policy is not a devolved matter, The Independent reported on Saturday.
A pre-action protocol is the first step required to challenge a minister’s decision in the courts.
Archibald made the announcement in a written statement to the Assembly on Thursday, saying Invest NI had confirmed it “does not support projects that manufacture arms or their components for supply to Israel.”
She outlined a series of new measures aimed at “eliminating any risk of public funds being used to support the manufacture of arms or components that are used for genocide.”
