Ireland needs a secular constitution, Atheist Ireland tells Seanad committee
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 ...
UN again tells Ireland to provide secular schools and remove religious oaths
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 ...
Atheist Ireland raises religious discrimination with the UN Human Rights Committee
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 political campaign continues to remove the religious oaths in the Irish constitution
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. ...
Irish Government says religious oaths are “necessary in a democratic society”
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 ...
President Higgins says religious oath for President should go
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 ...
UN to again raise secular education and religious oaths with Ireland
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 ...
One oath for all
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 Court challenge on religious oaths
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 ...
Conscientious atheists again excluded from new Irish Council of State
President Michael D Higgins has today appointed seven citizens to the Council of State, which advises the President on various issues. Again, these appointments have excluded conscientious atheists as candidates. This is because, in order to take office as members of the Council of State (or President, or a Judge) ...