Is the Blasphemy Law Unconstitutional?
http://blasphemy.ie/2009/07/21/is-the-blasphemy-law-unconstitutional/
Atheist Ireland has sent a letter to the President of Ireland, outlining our concerns about the constitutionality of the new blasphemy law, for her to consider before she discusses the issue with the Council of State tomorrow. In our letter we argue the following:
- The law is contrary to the guarantees of equality under the law enshrined in Article 40.1 of the Irish Constitution, and of freedom of conscience and religion enshrined in Article 44.2.
- The law is contrary to Article 44.2.3 of the Irish Constitution, which says that the State shall not impose any disabilities or make any discrimination on the ground of religious profession, belief or status.
- The law shifts the burden of proof to the defendant in contravention of Article 38 of the Constitution, and of Schedule 1, Article 6, 2. and 3(a) of the European Convention on Human Rights Act, 2003.
- The law does not meet the standard of prevention of imminent public disorder that made the old English blasphemy law compatible with the European Convention of Human Rights.
- The definitions in the law are too vague to allow citizens to regulate their conduct, and it could make it unlawful for a religious citizen to inform his co-religionists about a statement he believes to be blasphemous.
Here is the full content of our letter:
Why I am Not a Humanist
The following is a critique of the basic postulates of humanistic philosophy: it may, in effect, be taken as a concise rebuttal of what humanism stands for, delivered, perhaps unusually, by a secularist and an atheist. My drive to do so has largely been fuelled by the fact that there seems to be, at least in this writer’s experience, a widespread belief that humanism is synonymous with atheism, and that those identifying by either term may do so interchangeably. I’m certain that this is true of many atheists (even though I’m not always as sure that they’ve given it much prior thought), the point I wish to stress is that it’s far from requisite, and that there are those of us who do not find ourselves in accordance with even its most basic assertions.
Crime of blasphemous libel proposed for Defamation Bill
CAROL COULTER, Legal Affairs Editor
Irish Times | Wednesday, April 29, 2009
A NEW crime of blasphemous libel is to be proposed by the Minister for Justice in an amendment to the Defamation Bill, which will be discussed by the Oireachtas committee on justice today.
At the moment there is no crime of blasphemy on the statute books, though it is prohibited by the Constitution.
Read more: Crime of blasphemous libel proposed for Defamation Bill
