Last week Atheist Ireland met with Deputy Barry Ward regarding his Private Members Bill about the religious oath for judges in the Irish Constitution (The Thirty-ninth Amendment of the Constitution (Judicial Oath of Office) Bill 2025). We welcome this bill as a further indication of how a secular state would ...
Atheist Ireland has made the following submission to the Seanad Public Consultation Committee on the Constitutional Future of the Island of Ireland. Contents 1. Executive Summary 2. Recommendations 3. Remove Specific References to God 4. Replace Religious Oaths for Public Office Holders 5. Amend Articles on Fundamental Rights 1. Executive Summary ...
Atheist Ireland welcomes today’s concluding observations of the UN Human Rights Committee, which again tell Ireland to provide secular education by establishing non-denominational schools, and to further amend the Employment Equality Act to bar all forms of discrimination against teachers and medical workers. The UN Committee has also told Ireland ...
The United Nations Human Rights Committee is questioning Ireland in July about our human rights record under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, or ICCPR. Atheist Ireland has made the following submission about Freedom of Conscience, Religion, and Belief. You can also read it here on the United Nations ...
The religious oaths in the Irish Constitution for President and members of the Council of State still contravene human rights law, and today’s ruling by the European Court of Human Rights has not found otherwise. Indeed, the European Court has previously found in the cases of Dimitras and Others v. ...
It is disgraceful that the Irish Government is arguing at the European Court of Human Rights that the religious oath for President and members of the Council of State are “necessary in a democratic society.” The Government is contesting a legal challenge to the religious oath by Roisin Shortall TD, John ...
The Irish Constitution requires the President to take a religious oath in order to take office. In a recent interview with BBC Radio Ulster the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins said that, in a new Ireland, "one should just affirm" (that is, make a secular affirmation instead of a ...
The UN Human Rights Committee has raised the Irish education system and religious oaths in its List of Issues under the UN Convention on Civil and Political Rights. They raised the right to freedom of religion and belief in the Irish Education system. Atheist Ireland had made a Submission to ...
The removal of religious oaths for people making affidavits is a welcome half step in the direction of removing all religious oaths from State activities in Ireland. The Law Society has correctly noted that these oaths are contrary to the right to privacy. But witnesses and jurors will still have ...
Atheist Ireland supports the five Irish citizens who are taking a European Court challenge to the religious oaths that must be sworn by the Irish President, judges and members of the Council of State, which includes the Taoiseach, Tanaiste, Chairs of the Oireachtas, and others. David Norris, Róisín Shortall, John ...