87-558: The Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution (Marriage Equality) Act 2015 (previously bill no. 5 of 2015) amended the Constitution of Ireland to permit marriage to be contracted by two persons without distinction as to their sex. Prior to the enactment, the Constitution was assumed to contain an implicit prohibition on same-sex marriage in the Republic of Ireland . It was approved at
174-710: A statute . The word bill is mainly used in English-speaking nations formerly part of the British Empire whose legal systems originated in the common law of the United Kingdom , including the United States . The parts of a bill are known as clauses , until it has become an act of parliament, from which time the parts of the law are known as sections . In nations that have civil law systems (including France , Belgium , Luxembourg , Spain and Portugal ),
261-566: A public bill committee ; after that it became House of Lords Bill 33. Then it became House of Lords Bill 77, returned to the House of Commons as Bill 160, before finally being passed as Act 29. Parliament recommences numbering from one at the beginning of each session. This means that two different bills may have the same number. Sessions of parliament usually last a year. They begin with the State Opening of Parliament , and end with prorogation . In
348-576: A referendum on 22 May 2015 by 62% of voters on a turnout of 61%. This was the first time that a state legalised same-sex marriage through a popular vote. Two legal challenges regarding the conduct of the referendum were dismissed on 30 July by the Court of Appeal , and the bill was signed into law by the President of Ireland on 29 August. An amendment to the Marriage Act 2015 provided for marriages permitted by
435-451: A No Vote in the referendum. On 7 May, at a Changing Attitude Ireland event, former Archdeacon of Dublin , Gordon Linney said "We are being given an opportunity on May 22 finally to show the gay community that we value them for who they are. We welcome them as they are fully into society and so give them the recognition they are entitled to and that those who are in stable relationships and wish to marry should be allowed to do so. Marriage
522-793: A No vote on 1 May. On 7 May, a group called StandUp4Marriage launched. Its founder, Senator Jim Walsh said the launch was sparsely attended because people who want to vote no are afraid to speak out. Mandate for Marriage was established in March 2015. It advocated a no vote. The following organisations registered as "approved bodies" to monitor postal voting and vote counting: Comhar Críostaí , Marriage Equality, Yes Equality Cork, Green Party , Mothers & Fathers Matter, Fianna Fáil , Labour Party , BeLonG To Youth Services, Irish Council for Civil Liberties , GLEN Campaign for Marriage, National LGBT Federation , Sinn Féin , and Fine Gael . Broadcasters are legally required to cover referendum campaigns in
609-539: A No vote was called into question by some, with the Irish Catholic noting only 10% of Irish Catholics were expected to receive the leaflet. Opposition to same sex marriage was not a view universally held within the Irish Catholic clergy and The Irish Times reporting that there was "significant disquiet" from parish clergy about the impact of the bishops stance on gay people and on the church. From January onwards,
696-641: A No vote would be a "big step backwards" for the country, and that it would have an adverse effect on the mental health of members of the LGBT community. The following day, the National Women's Council of Ireland and launched their 'Yes' campaign. The launch was attended by representatives of various groups, including the Irish Feminist Network, Digi Women and the Association of Childcare Professionals. On 7 May,
783-589: A Yes vote, making the decision as he felt the referendum gave "statutory recognition and protection to the relationships of people regardless of their sex". As more priests announced their intentions to vote Yes, the Washington Post reported on the growing number of Irish priests coming out against the stance of the church leadership in Ireland. The Church of Ireland announced in February 2015 that it would not be taking
870-421: A Yes vote, saying there were "conflicts between factuality and scripture". She said "There has always been disagreement on what is and is not permitted by the bible," and mentioned these conflicts had always existed "...over the flat earth, over slavery, over evolution, over apartheid, over the position of women." In March 2015 Ferran Glenfield , an evangelical Church of Ireland bishop, signalled his support for
957-585: A balanced manner. Several complaints were made to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) that programmes and presenters had unfairly favoured the Yes side. The BAI rejected these in its October 2015 report. A 2014 poll showed that support was strongest among younger voters, and that Sinn Féin and Labour voters were somewhat more in favour than Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. Counting began at 09:00 IST on 23 May (08:00 UTC). Early tallies quickly began to indicate
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#17330936368461044-522: A coalition government , whose programme included the establishment of a Constitutional Convention to examine potential changes on specified issues, including "Provision for the legalisation of same-sex marriage". The Convention considered the issue in May 2013 and voted to recommend that the state should be required, rather than merely permitted, to allow for same-sex marriage. Its report was formally submitted in July and
1131-539: A good place to do business will be enhanced by a Yes vote." Martin Shanahan, the head of IDA Ireland , the Industrial Development Authority, called for a Yes vote on 1 May, saying "A Yes vote on May 22 would tell the business world that Ireland is open, inclusive and welcomes diversity and that would be a very positive message to be sending internationally." He also said he believed that a No vote would send
1218-503: A law to be made it starts off as a bill and has to go through various stages: In the United Kingdom, a proposed new law starts off as a bill that goes through seven stages of the legislative process: first reading, second reading, committee stage, report stage, third reading, opposite house, and royal assent. A bill is introduced by a member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons or by
1305-508: A leaflet urging a No vote. Approximately 50 clergy and lay signed the leaflet, including Bishop of Elphin Kevin Doran ( Roman Catholic Church ), Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh Ferran Glenfield , and Archdeacon of Raphoe David Huss (both Church of Ireland ); along with clergy and lay from the Methodist, Presbyterian and various Pentecostal churches. Many business groups advocated for
1392-468: A loving stable relationship was contrary to how many Christians understood their own marriages.” In January, the group welcomed the publication of the wording of the Referendum text saying that marriage should be "available to couples without distinction as to their sex", just as civil marriage "may be contracted by two persons without distinction as to their race or religion". Changing Attitude had been one of
1479-493: A member of the House of Lords . There will be a first reading of the bill, in which the proposition in the bill is read out, but there is minimal discussion and no voting. A second reading of the bill follows, in which the bill is presented in more detail and it is discussed between the MPs or Lords. The third stage is the committee stage , in which a committee is gathered. This may include MPs, Lords, professionals and experts in
1566-715: A mother and father", he saw "a sickening insult to the thousands of lone parents and children who love and care for each other in Ireland. The message is exploitative, hurtful and dishonest. What every child deserves is love, respect, safety. That can come from two parents of either sex, two parents of the same-sex, or a single parent." The Union of Students in Ireland , then led by Laura Harmon , launched its "Students for Marriage Equality" campaign in January together with its dedicated website, voteforlove.ie . Amnesty International launched their "Let's Make History" campaign for marriage equality on 22 March 2015 to thousands of people outside
1653-655: A national newspaper he shared that while churches can have different views and variations of those views, in referendums "we legislate for ALL our fellow citizens". He encouraged others to "remember the difference between civil and religious law." Later speaking to the Irish Independent , he expressed that while he believed in "Catholic teaching on marriage", following years of pastoral work with gay Catholics, he felt that other peoples different views should be respected, and he should not be imposing his own on them. He also said we should be sensitive to get things right, referencing
1740-583: A negative signal to international businesses. Also on 1 May, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions announced its support for the Yes campaign with the launch of its "Trade unions for civil marriage equality" campaign. Other trade unions and staff representative associations supporting a Yes vote included the Garda Representative Association, Mandate , and Ireland's largest trade union SIPTU . On 7 May, eBay CEO John Donahoe announced that
1827-597: A number of Catholic priests started to publicly express disappointment with the approach taken by the bishops in opposing same sex civil marriage and/or support of a Yes vote. In January Fr. Martin Dolan, Roman Catholic priest at the Church of St Nicholas of Myra came out to his congregation and called on their support in voting Yes in the referendum. Augustinian Catholic priest Fr. Iggy O' Donovan shortly followed in openly declaring his intention to vote for same-sex marriage. Writing in
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#17330936368461914-543: A proposed law is known as a "law project" (Fr. projet de loi ) if introduced by the government, or a "law proposition" (Fr. proposition de loi ) if a private member's bill . Some legislatures do not make this terminological distinction (for example the Dutch parliament uses wetsontwerp and wetsvoorstel interchangeably). Bills generally include titles , enacting provisions , statements of intent , definitions , substantive provisions , transitional clauses , and dates which
2001-470: A sequential number and are prefixed with "Republic Act" or "R.A." for short. They are also given a secondary sequential number by the chamber they are introduced in. Aforementioned numberings restart every three years after the formation of a new Congress. In the United Kingdom, for example, the Coroners and Justice Act in 2009 started as Bill 9 in the House of Commons. Then it became Bill 72 on consideration by
2088-448: A stance on the referendum, instead encouraging members to vote according to their conscience. A spokesperson for the church said that while marriage between one man and one woman was the "basis on which the Church's liturgy for marriage is used" the Church "also recognises that a state has a duty and responsibility to legislate for its citizens". He encouraged members of the Church to vote "when
2175-500: A statement on the referendum 17 April stating that "As Muslims we must believe in equality and inclusiveness. People should not be discriminated for any reason. It is important to humanise people and not to de humanise. The Islamic tradition teaches to hate the sin but not the sinner. The attitude of some Muslims towards homosexuals is incompatible with the spirit of mercy and kindness in Islam. The Irish constitution guarantees all Irish citizens
2262-606: A victory for the Yes campaign, with Minister of State Aodhán Ó Ríordáin declaring a "landslide" victory across Dublin only 8 minutes into counting. Key figures in the No campaign, including David Quinn began conceding defeat as early as 10:00, long ahead of any constituencies declaring their final count. Urban regions generally recorded higher approval ratings for the change. The highest Yes percentages were recorded in County Dublin with all of
2349-464: Is a civil contract. No church will be forced to solemnise any union it does not approve of." On 22 April 2015, the leaders of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland issued a statement advocating a no vote, saying "the change proposed in the same-sex marriage referendum denies the rights of children and the natural responsibilities of a father and a mother in nurturing them". On 15 April a petition
2436-410: Is a proposal for a new law, or a proposal to substantially alter an existing law. A bill does not become law until it has been passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive . Bills are introduced in the legislature and are there discussed, debated on, and voted upon. Once a bill has been enacted into law by the legislature, it is called an act of the legislature , or
2523-493: Is assisted by a Minister of State , James Browne , TD, who is the Minister of State for Law Reform and Youth Justice From 1919 until 1924 the position was known as the Minister for Home Affairs . In 1997, the functions of the Minister for Equality and Law Reform were transferred to this Minister, and it was renamed as the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform , a title which it retained until 2010. The minister held
2610-509: Is divided into year-long periods called sessions . Minister for Justice (Ireland) The Minister for Justice ( Irish : An tAire Dlí agus Cirt ) is a senior minister in the Government of Ireland and leads the Department of Justice . The Minister for Justice has overall responsibility for law and order in Ireland. The current Minister for Justice is Helen McEntee , TD . McEntee
2697-456: Is the third reading of the bill, in which the full bill is read out in the house along with all amendments and is given final approval by the House. The next stage is where the bill is handed over to the opposite house for approval. (If it started in the House of Commons it will be handed to the House of Lords and vice versa.) Here the bill will go through the same process as before, with amendments able to be brought. If amendments are brought,
Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland - Misplaced Pages Continue
2784-665: Is typically promulgated by being published in an official gazette . This may be required on enactment, coming into force, or both. Legislatures may give bills numbers as they progress. Bills are not given numbers in Australia and are typically cited by their short titles . They are only given an act number upon royal assent . In Brazil, bills originating in both the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies are numbered sequentially, prefixed with "PL" ( Projeto de Lei ) and optionally suffixed with
2871-615: The Federal Constitutional Court has discretion to rule on bills. Some bills may require approval by referendum . In Ireland this is obligatory for bills to amend the constitution ; it is possible for other bills via a process that has never been used . A bill may come into force as soon as it becomes law, or it may specify a later date to come into force, or it may specify by whom and how it may be brought into force; for example, by ministerial order . Different parts of an act may come into force at different times. An act
2958-511: The Green Party , Anti-Austerity Alliance , People Before Profit Alliance , Workers' Party and independents are also on record in support of the amendment. "Yes Equality" was an umbrella campaign by Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN), the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and Marriage Equality. Religious bodies in Ireland officially adopted a range of stances to the referendum, though
3045-404: The House of Commons of Canada , the pro forma bill is numbered C-1, Government Bills are numbered C-2 to C-200, numbered sequentially from the start of each parliamentary session , and Private member's bills are numbered C-201 to C-1000, numbered sequentially from the start of each Parliament. The numbering system is identical in the Senate of Canada , except that bills first introduced in
3132-465: The Law Society of Ireland announced its support for a Yes vote. Ken Murphy, the society's Director General, said that the society was taking a public stance because marriage equality was an issue of fundamental human rights. The decision followed a report from the society's human rights committee, which found that there were 160 ways in which civil partnership, compared to civil marriage, was the lesser of
3219-520: The Oireachtas and Knesset respectively became/become law immediately (though, in Israel's case, the laws are ceremonially signed after their passage by the president). In parliamentary systems , approval of the head of state is normally a formality since the head of state is a ceremonial figurehead. The exercise of the veto is considered a reserve power and is typically only used in rare circumstances, and
3306-530: The Privy Council of Ireland and Privy Council of England , so in practice each bill was substantively debated as "heads of a bill", then submitted to the privy councils for approval, and finally formally introduced as a bill and rejected or passed unamended. In the Westminster system , where the executive is drawn from the legislature and usually holds a majority in the lower house, most bills are introduced by
3393-548: The Bill was finally passed by 29 votes to three. Among those speaking in favour was Katherine Zappone, who was a Senator at the time. Those who voted against were Senators Rónán Mullen, Jim Walsh and Feargal Quinn ; the opposition amendments were also supported by Senator Fidelma Healy Eames . All four main parties in the Dáil supported the bill: the governing Fine Gael and Labour, and the opposition Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin . Members of
3480-464: The Constitution (Marriage Equality) Bill 2015 was debated in the Dáil on 10 and 11 March 2015. Several deputies from different parties spoke in favour. The only speaker to oppose it was independent TD Mattie McGrath ; it was passed without a division (i.e., by voice vote). It was then debated in the Seanad on 25 and 27 March. Votes were held on a number of proposed amendments, all of which were defeated, and
3567-641: The Irish State, regardless of gender or sexual orientation." Spokesperson Brendan Butler shared "The proposed referendum will not redefine marriage but rather refine it to make it more inclusive and so enhance the meaning of marriage". In February 2015, the Faith in Marriage Equality (FiME) group was founded. This inter-faith coalition group included Changing Attitudes Ireland, We Are Church Ireland and Gay Catholic Voice Ireland to represent people of faith voting Yes in
Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland - Misplaced Pages Continue
3654-629: The Migrant Rights Centre, Headstrong, Yes Equality, the Children's Rights Alliance, Pavee Point , EPIC and the National Youth Council of Ireland . Speaking at the launch, Fergus Finlay said they had come together to call for a Yes vote in part because groups within the No campaign were "using children as pawns" and that every time he saw a poster calling for a No vote because "every child deserves
3741-593: The Oireachtas . Then-minister Shatter disagreed in November 2013, stating that there was "ample case law " to the effect that "marriage is understood as being between one man and one woman". In January 2015, the wording of the proposed amendment was agreed at a special cabinet meeting and published in the press, and the bill was formally introduced in the Dáil by the Minister for Justice and Equality , Frances Fitzgerald . A separate Children and Family Relationships Act 2015
3828-581: The Senate of Canada begin with "S" instead of "C". In the Irish Oireachtas , bills are numbered sequentially from the start of each calendar year. Bills originating in the Dáil and Seanad share a common sequence. There are separate sequences for public and private bills, the latter prefixed with "P". Although acts to amend the constitution are outside the annual sequence used for other public acts, bills to amend
3915-714: The State consults on matters, such as the civil definition of marriage. Two Church of Ireland bishops had publicly called for a Yes vote. As early as May 2014, Paul Colton , Church of Ireland Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross , had signalled his support for a yes vote. He was joined by the Rt Revd Michael Burrows of Cashel, Ferns & Ossory in April 2015. Speaking at the School of Ecunemics at Trinity College he said "...all too often we have allowed ourselves to be left behind defending
4002-509: The United States, all bills originating in the House of Representatives are numbered sequentially and prefixed with "H.R." and all bills originating from the Senate begin with an "S.". Every two years, at the start of odd-numbered years, the Congress recommences numbering from 1, though for bills the House has an order reserving the first 20 bill numbers and the Senate has similar measures for
4089-560: The amendment as introduced was: Journalist Bruce Arnold argued against the bill in two articles in The Irish Times , one of which focused on alleged issues with the Irish text. Arnold argued that the Irish text describes only same-sex couples, thus rendering opposite-sex marriage illegal. Government sources pointed out the words impugned by Arnold ( beirt and cibé acu is fir nó mná ) are already used with similar intent elsewhere in
4176-563: The amendment in the Dáil the following day. Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan lost a case in the High Court in 2006 for the recognition by Ireland of their Canadian same-sex marriage . The Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 instituted civil partnership in Irish law. After the 2011 general election , the Fine Gael and Labour parties formed
4263-516: The approval of the head of state such as the monarch, president, or governor to become law. The refusal of such an approval is typically known as a veto . Exceptions are the Irish Free State from the abolition of the governor-general in December 1936 to the creation of the office of president in December 1937, and Israel from its formation until today, during which period bills approved by
4350-402: The bill will again be handed to the opposite house, going through the same process, which repeats until both houses arrive at an agreement on the bill. (In the rare circumstance that the two houses cannot agree, the House of Commons has the final say since it is an elected body, whereas the House of Lords is not). Once the bill is finalised, it will move to the final stage, royal assent , when
4437-492: The bill will be put into effect. The preparation of a bill may involve the production of a draft bill prior to the introduction of the bill into the legislature. In the United Kingdom, draft bills are frequently considered to be confidential. Pre-legislative scrutiny is a formal process carried out by a parliamentary committee on a draft bill. In the Parliament of India , the draft bill is sent to individual ministry relating to
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#17330936368464524-434: The bishops position on the referendum. In this message he said "The Irish bishops have already said that we cannot support an amendment to the Constitution which redefines marriage and effectively places the union of two men, or two women, on a par with the marriage relationship between a husband and wife which is open to the procreation of children." Eamon Martin did not explicitly call for a No vote but expressed concerns about
4611-496: The company was backing a Yes vote. Donahoe said that its position on equality issues such as same-sex marriage, in addition to being "the right thing to do", also helps the company attract, retain and develop the right people. Other prominent groups to support the referendum included a coalition of Ireland's main children's charities called "BeLonG To Yes". Constituent organisations include the ISPCC , Barnardos, Foróige, Youth Work Ireland,
4698-460: The consequence of a Yes vote. As the referendum drew closer, more priests shared their support for a Yes vote including Fr. Gerald Moloney who wrote of his intention in the Irish Times. He expressed that while he viewed marriage as a sacrament he felt "citizens of the State" could decide "how they define marriage and who can enter it". Gweedore priest Fr. Brian Ó Fearraigh announced his support for
4785-511: The constitution are within the annual sequence of public bills. In the Philippines , all bills passed into law, regardless of whether they were introduced in the House of Representatives or the Senate , are numbered sequentially beginning with the first Republic Act that became law on July 15, 1946. There have been 11,646 Republic Acts as of January 21, 2022. All laws passed by Congress, once given presidential assent, become law and are given
4872-423: The constitution. Counterpoints from legal academics were that Arnold's strict constructionist interpretation would be trumped by the doctrine of absurdity , and that failure to mention opposite-sex marriage would not make it illegal. Some argued that the Irish text should nevertheless be changed to remove all doubts. Enda Kenny announced on 10 March 2015 that such a change would be made. Frances Fitzgerald moved
4959-456: The continuation of the human race and the development of human society". It posited that same sex marriage would "redefine the nature of marriage" and "undermine it as the fundamental building block of our society." When the document was launched, the Bishop of Clogher Liam MacDaid shared that the intention was to outline the "Christian understanding of marriage.". However the interest of a Church in
5046-406: The essentially indefensible". He declared his intention to vote yes for same sex marriage, saying it would be "a contribution to a fairer and more truly equal Ireland" and "I cannot see any way in which it could be considered repugnant to the common good, or indeed to the vital role of the family". The Rev Canon Ginnie Kennerley, who had been the first woman cathedral canon in Ireland, also supported
5133-502: The executive ( government bill ). In principle, the legislature meets to consider the demands of the executive, as set out in the King's Speech or speech from the throne . Mechanisms exist to allow other members of the legislature to introduce bills, but they are subject to strict timetables and usually fail unless a consensus is reached. In the US system, where the executive is formally separated from
5220-458: The field, and other people who the bill may affect. The purpose of this stage is to go into more detail on the bill and gather expert opinions on it (e.g. teachers may be present in a committee about a bill that would affect the education system) and amendments may be brought. After this is the report stage , in which the entire house reviews any and all changes made to the bill since its conception and may bring further amendments. The fifth stage
5307-430: The first 10 bills. Joint resolutions also have the same effect as bills, and are titled as "H. J. Res." or "S. J. Res." depending on whether they originated in the House or Senate, respectively. This means that two different bills can have the same number. Each two-year span is called a congress , tracking the terms of Representatives elected in the nationwide biennial House of Representatives elections, and each congress
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#17330936368465394-409: The first groups to welcome the referendum back in May 2014, then noting that "In the forthcoming referendum on marriage Christians will be campaigning on both sides". In January 2015, Irish lay Catholic group We Are Church Ireland gave its "unanimous support" for a Yes vote in the referendum. They stated that "loving, committed relationships between two consenting adults should be treated equally by
5481-638: The freedom of conscience and Muslims must exercise this right when voting on 22nd May 2015." In February 2015, the Methodist Church in Ireland issued a statement supporting the traditional view of marriage as being between a man and woman. In December 2015, Dr. Richard O'Leary of Church of Ireland LGBT group Changing Attitude Ireland challenged the Catholic Bishops Conference definition of marriage saying that "view of marriage as being essentially about reproduction rather than being primarily
5568-466: The government formally responded in December, when Taoiseach Enda Kenny said a referendum would be held "no later than mid-2015". All amendments to the Irish constitution must be approved by the people in a referendum before becoming law. Some legal academics claimed that extending marriage to same-sex couples did not require a constitutional amendment and could have been accomplished by an ordinary Act of
5655-416: The historic General Post Office, Dublin . Speakers included Colm O'Gorman , Pat Carey , Sabina Brennan , Gavin Brennan and Grace Dyas. On 5 May, the "Yes for Health" campaign was launched by Liam Doran, general secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and Kieran Ryan, CEO of the Irish College of General Practitioners . Speaking at the launch, Minister for Health Leo Varadkar said that
5742-424: The launch event to call for a Yes vote. Calling it a "civil matter" he said "Personally, I think the claim of the churches to own marriage in any sense just doesn't stand up because marriage was there long, long before there was ever a Christian church." The Iona Institute , a right-wing conservative mainly-Catholic religious think tank, also opposed the amendment. In Match 2015, a cross-denominational group issued
5829-450: The legislation has only partially been commenced . Two referendums were held on 22 May 2015, on the marriage bill and another constitutional amendment, to reduce the age of candidacy for the presidency . Referendums need a simple majority of the votes cast to pass. A Dáil by-election in Carlow–Kilkenny was held on the same day. According to the Referendum Commission , if the referendum were to be passed: The Thirty-fourth Amendment of
5916-403: The legislature can usually override the veto by a simple majority vote. However, in most cases, the executive – a cabinet of ministers responsible to parliament – takes a veto by the head of state into account. In presidential systems , the head of state is also the chief executive, and the need to receive approval can be used as a political tool by them. The legislature is only able to override
6003-420: The legislature, all bills must originate from the legislature. Bills can be introduced using the following procedures: Bills are generally considered through a number of readings. This refers to the historic practice of the clerical officers of the legislature reading the contents of a bill to the legislature. While the bill is no longer read, the motions on the bill still refer to this practice. In India , for
6090-423: The lowest margin was recorded in Donegal South-West , where a Yes vote was carried by a margin of only 33 votes — Roscommon–South Leitrim was the only constituency to return a majority No vote. The HomeToVote hashtag on Twitter , used by emigrant voters indicating their intent to return to Ireland to vote yes, was globally the fifth biggest trending topic of the year. Bill (proposed law) A bill
6177-445: The matter. From there the bill goes to the Ministry of Law and Justice and then is passed on to the Cabinet committee which the prime minister heads. Pre-legislative scrutiny is required in much of Scandinavia, occurs in Ireland at the discretion of the Oireachtas (parliament) and occurs in the UK at the government's discretion. In the Parliament of Ireland under Poynings' Law (1494–1782) legislation had to be pre-approved by
6264-409: The monarch signs or otherwise signifies approval for the bill to become law. Theoretically, the monarch could refuse assent to a bill, but no monarch has done so since Queen Anne in 1708, and the royal veto has fallen into disuse. Once the assent is granted, the law comes into effect at the date and time specified within the act; if this is not specified within the act, it comes into effect at midnight on
6351-420: The new constitutional status. The act came into force on 16 November 2015; the first same-sex marriage ceremony was held on 17 November 2015. The amendment inserted a new section 4 to Article 41 of the Constitution. The English text reads: The Irish text reads: The text in Irish and English is intended to have the same meaning; in the event of a conflict, the Irish version takes precedence. The Irish text of
6438-451: The official church positions were either neutral or in opposition. The Catholic Church did not take an official position on the referendum and the Pope did not make any direct comments on his stance. However, there were a number of bishops and priests that shared differing views publicly. In the lead up to the referendum, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin confirmed that while he planned to vote No, he
6525-542: The passing of the referendum. On 16 April, Business for Yes Equality launched, with high-profile companies such as Twitter, eBay, PayPal and 150 Irish-based international and local companies joining. Stephen McIntyre, MD of Twitter in Ireland, said "As I see it, this case has three key elements. First, people perform better in the long run when they can be themselves. Second, talent is attracted to organisations which demonstrate an appreciation for diversity, inclusiveness and equality. Finally, Ireland's international reputation as
6612-409: The question that the people will be asked on the 22nd of May. That question of course is to give their approval, if they see fit and I hope they do, to allow for marriage in civil law irrespective of sexual orientation." Labour TD Brendan Howlin said "The one issue at the core of this referendum is equality under the Constitution and anything else is extraneous." The Islamic Centre in Ireland issued
6699-402: The referendum. Richard O' Leary representing Changing Attitude Ireland said "So far we haven’t heard the voices of people of faith saying that they will be voting yes and that this is consistent with their faith's values. "Our understanding of faith is that marriage is based on love and commitment and this is the case for heterosexual and same-sex couples." Retired Archdeacon Gordon Linney joined
6786-463: The referendum. This decision was taken following member consultation with a released statement saying "The ACP asserts the particular responsibility that devolves on priests to measure their words carefully, and not to direct their parishioners to vote Yes or No." In May the Catholic Bishops Conference shared a message entitled 'Care for the Covenant of Marriage’ where Archbishop Eamon Martin reiterating
6873-413: The same day it is granted royal assent. Where a piece of primary legislation is termed an act , the process of a bill becoming law may be termed enactment . Once a bill is passed by the legislature, it may automatically become law, or it may need further approval, in which case enactment may be effected by the approver's signature or proclamation . Bills passed by the legislature usually require
6960-463: The scandal surrounding Cardinal Keith O' Brien who had been one of the loud proponents against homosexuality and same sex marriage, but later faced allegations of sexual misconduct from fellow priests and was reported to have been in a long-term same-sex relationship. In March 2015 the Association of Catholic Priests , representing more than 1000 Irish priests, declared it would not take a position in
7047-526: The top ten by Yes vote percentage being in the city and county (with a total Yes vote of 71% for the region), and all of the top 15 located in the Greater Dublin Area . Cork 's urban constituencies also ranked above the national average, as did Limerick city. Although the Donegal constituencies had been expected to return a No vote, — and indeed, of all constituencies reporting a majority Yes vote,
7134-449: The two unions. Some groups were also formed in opposition to the referendum. On 18 April, Mothers and Fathers Matter , formed in 2014 to oppose the Children and Family Relationships Bill , launched its No campaign. First Families First, a group of three people headed by disabilities campaigner and former politician Kathy Sinnott , and former columnist John Waters launched its campaign for
7221-471: The veto by means of a supermajority vote. In some jurisdictions, a bill passed by the legislature may also require approval by a constitutional court . If the court finds the bill would violate the constitution it may annul it or send it back to the legislature for correction. In Ireland, the president has discretion under Article 26 of the Constitution to refer bills to the Supreme Court . In Germany,
7308-549: The year they were proposed, separated by a slash, as in PL 1234/1988. Until 2019, each house used a different numbering and naming system, but the system was unified by a 2018 joint act by the secretaries of both houses. Before the 2019 unification, the Senate numbered bills starting at the beginning of each year, while the lower house numbered bills starting at the beginning of each legislature. This meant that bills sent from one house to another could adopt two or more different names. In
7395-644: Was initiated by religious groups including the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland , the Irish Council of Imams , and the Galway branch of the Reformed Presbyterian Church on 15 April called for a "conscience clause", this which would allow individuals and businesses to discriminate against same-sex couples in the provision of goods and services. In response, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said: "The Government has made its decision very clear here in respect to
7482-540: Was not affiliated with any No campaign and had "never told people how to vote and encouraged "everyone to vote and to reflect carefully". Shortly before the referendum, Eamon Martin urged Catholics to reflect on their decision but avoided telling members how to vote. In December 2014 the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference shared their opposition on same-sex marriage, and distributed a booklet to all parishes. The Bishops' document stated that marriage "provides for
7569-511: Was passed in April 2015. This included adoption rights for same-sex couples – prior to the passing of the Act, single gay or lesbian people, or one of the partners in a same-sex couple could adopt, but joint adoption by both partners was not possible. The general scheme of this bill was published for consultation in January 2014, and in 2015 it was passed by the Dáil on 12 March and the Seanad on 30 March, and signed into law on 6 April. As of May 2018
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