A Victory for Equality: The End of the ‘Baptism Barrier’ in School Admissions in Ireland
The Admissions to Schools Act 2018, due to come into effect from the beginning of next year, will end the right of the vast majority of primary schools in Ireland...
Ireland Votes to Remove Blasphemy Offence from Constitution
The 37th Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland was passed by referendum on Friday, removing the word ‘blasphemous’ from Article 40.6.1i. In Article 40.6.1, the State guarantees “subject to public...
Are Christian bakers part of the wedding cakes they make; and what follows if they are?
Is making a cake for a gay wedding the same as making a cake with an anti-gay message? This equivalence was drawn by conservative judge, Justice Gorsuch, in the US...
The Irish Abortion Referendum: An Opportunity for Change
Today, the Irish people will be asked to vote in a referendum on whether or not to repeal the 8th Amendment of the Irish Constitution which prohibits access to abortion...
Proposal to make ‘disadvantaged socio-economic status’ a prohibited ground of discrimination under Irish law
The Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2017, was introduced in the lower house of the Irish Parliament at the end of last year and is currently working its way through the...
Irish High Court rules Constitution protects a ‘Right to an Environment’
The recent 2017, Irish High Court judgment on environmental rights has been described as ‘historic’ as it declared that the Irish Constitution protects an un-enumerated personal constitutional ‘right to an...
The Irish Referendum and the Road to Safe, Legal Abortion
The Irish government has now announced that it will hold a referendum on repealing the 8th Amendment in 2018. Inserted in the Constitution in 1983, the 8th protects a constitutional...
Human Rights-Based Migrant Integration Policy: Lessons from Ireland, Part II – Applying the Human Rights-Based Model
The first part of this post emphasised the importance of supporting public sector bodies in developing human rights-based migrant integration policies. We also outlined how our project (funded by the...
Human Rights-Based Migrant Integration Policy: Lessons from Ireland – Part I
The issue of migrant integration has become a key policy area for many European countries, as well as the European Union (“EU”) level. “Integration” is a notoriously difficult idea to...
Asylum Seekers Gain the Right to Work in Ireland
Asylum seekers arriving in Ireland are prohibited from seeking employment until a determination of their application for asylum has been made. In the meantime, asylum seekers are required to stay...
Legislating for Trans Equality: Recent Developments in the United Kingdom and Ireland
In January 2016, the House of Commons Select Committee on Women and Equalities published a landmark report on ‘Transgender Equality’. Among the Committee’s many recommendations was a proposal to amend...
Ireland’s Abortion Ban: Subjecting Women to Suffering and Discrimination
Ireland has one of the world’s most restrictive abortion law regimes. Following a referendum in 1983, the 8th Amendment of the Irish Constitution was inserted in the form of Article...
