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More powers for
the oireachtas?
What's the rush?

Have you received your information guide from the Referendum Commission?

If yes, you are lucky, it dropped through your letterbox barely a week before voting day on Thursday 27 October 2011.

Oireachtas members rushed these proposals to give themselves more powers through the Oireachtas in a week. Draft legislation was published earlier this month and there has been no real debate or public consultation on the 30th amendment.

What’s the rush?

Our Oireachtas Committees do need to be overhauled and improved, but not without mature consideration of the consequences.

VOTE IN HASTE, REPENT AT LEISURE. VOTE NO TO 30 NEXT THURSDAY.

How will your rights
be affected?

Your Good Name

The Constitution currently protects your good name, but the 30th amendment to the Constitution would give Oireachtas Committees the power to make factual findings about people’s conduct, including on very serious matters.

The examples given by the (neutral) Referendum Commission include findings that “a person had, for example, behaved in a corrupt manner or been responsible for the killing of another person” (see: http://www.referendum2011.ie/your-decision/referendum-on-inquiries-by-the-oireachtas/finding-which-affects-a-persons-good-name);

How About Fair Procedures?

The 30th amendment to the Constitution states that it will be up to Oireachtas Committees to decide about the “fair procedures” to apply to strike the “appropriate balance between the rights of persons and the public interest”.
The Referendum Commission has indicated that “It is not possible to state definitively what role, if any, the courts would have in reviewing the procedures adopted by the Houses” (see: http://www.referendum2011.ie/your-decision/referendum-on-inquiries-by-the-oireachtas/balance-of-rights-and-fair-procedures);

In other words, my good name could be tarnished by an Oireachtas Committee through procedures that don’t protect my rights, and I might not be able to challenge that in the Courts?

Yes. That’s right.

VOTE NO TO KANGAROO COURTS. VOTE NO TO 30 NEXT THURSDAY

The campaign for a NO vote on the 30th amendment to the Constitution is being led by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties Association.

Ireland’s leading human rights watchdog, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties Association was founded 35 years ago by Mary Robinson and others.

The Association receives no Government funding and the costs of this campaign are being funded entirely by the subscriptions and donations received from its members.

VOTE NO TO KANGAROO COURTS
NO TO THE 30TH AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION