On Monday 27 February, Atheist ireland met with a delegation from the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM), a monitoring body of the Council of Europe. Here is a report of the meeting. We also gave them this written submission.
Article 15 / Article 4
Under the Irish Constitution the President, judges and members of the Council of state are required to swear a religious oath. The preamble to the Constitution has been invoked in the courts in support of various views.
Recommendations
- Remove the requirement for the President, judges and Council of State to swear a religious oath in the presence of Almighty God (Arts 12, 31, 34), and for the President and judges to ask God to direct and sustain them (12, 34), and replace these with a single neutral declaration that does not reveal any information about the person’s religious beliefs.
- Remove the references to all authority coming from the Holy Trinity and our obligations to our divine Lord Jesus Christ (preamble); powers of government deriving under God from the people (6); the homage of public worship being due to Almighty God and the state holding his name in reverence (44); and the glory of God (closing line).
- Remove Section 3.1(c) and 3.4 of the Charities Act 2009, which privileges the advancement of religion over non-religious life stances.
Atheist Ireland submission to European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI)
On Monday 27 February, Atheist Ireland met with a delegation from the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), a monitoring body of the Council of Europe. Here is a report of the meeting. We also gave them this written submission.
Equality before the law and equal protection of the law without discrimination of any kind
In its third Report on Ireland in 2007 the ECRI noted that the Irish State had adopted the European Convention on Human Rights Act 2003 to enable persons under Irish jurisdiction to invoke the Convention before the courts. It recommended that Ireland ratify Protocol 12 to the European Convention and it encouraged the State to ratify the UNESCO Convention against discrimination in Education. It further Recommended (Recommendation No. 15) that the Irish Constitution provides for:
Atheist Ireland believes that Ireland cannot ratify Protocol 12 to the European Convention as it is incompatible with the Irish Constitution. Ireland informed the ECRI that this issue was under review as to the manner in which this instrument correlates with existing equality legislation is being examined. Ireland has done nothing about ratifying Protocol 12.
Read More »