Constitutional Law

The UK Supreme Court has refused to accept an application from the Attorney General for Northern Ireland to refer what he said was a “devolution issue” under the Northern Ireland Act 1998. The Attorney General submitted that, by providing postcode lists to the Secretary of State, Norther

The controversial reference to women's "life within the home" in the Irish constitution will be explored at an event hosted by the Irish Women Lawyers' Association (IWLA) next month. The Government has committed to holding a future referendum on Article 41.2 of the Constitution.

Civil society organisations have called on TDs and Senators to urgently clarify the rules around the "money message" mechanism amid fears it is allowing the Government to effectively veto legislative proposals. Representatives of 25 organisations, including the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU),

Draft legislation to hold a referendum on allowing Irish citizens abroad and in Northern Ireland to vote in presidential elections has been submitted to the Dáil. The Thirty-ninth Amendment of the Constitution (Presidential Elections) Bill 2019 provides for a referendum to amend article 12 of

The role of the Attorney General should be clarified in light of research showing that at least a dozen housing bills were blocked due to an "extremely restrictive" interpretation of the Constitution, a senator has said. Independent Senator Colette Kelleher today published research by the Oireachtas

Human rights expert Professor Colin Harvey has called for a national conversation on Irish unity as a "way back to the EU". Professor Harvey, professor of human rights law at Queen's University Belfast, said it would be "irresponsible not to talk about this".

Legislation to facilitate a referendum on allowing Irish citizens around the world to vote in Irish presidential elections is being drafted by the Government. Ministers envisage that an October referendum will allow the expanded franchise to take effect in time for the next presidential election in

The Supreme Court has overturned a decision of the High Court which declared that section 9(1)(b) of the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 offended the constitutional right to remain silent. Also finding that the definitional elements of the crime under this section were clear, Mr

A man who was given a five-year custodial sentence for possession of a firearm has been granted a declaration that s.27A(8) of the Firearms Act 1964, which imposes a mandatory minimum sentence of five years, is repugnant to the Constitution. Concluding that the section should be struck down as uncon