Several constitutional conventions have considered or proposed constitutions for the island of Ireland or for one of its two jurisdictions, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Body | Members | Authority | When met | Territory | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Irish Convention | Appointed, nominated | British government | 1917–18 | Whole island | Failed to agree on a replacement for the Government of Ireland Act 1914.[1] |
First Dáil | Elected | Self-appointed | 1919–21 | Whole island | Produced a brief Dáil Constitution and aspirational Democratic Programme for its self-proclaimed Irish Republic |
Third Dáil sitting as a constituent assembly | Elected | Anglo-Irish Treaty | 1922[n 1] | Irish Free State[n 2] | Enacted the Constitution of the Irish Free State, which had been drafted by a committee appointed by the Provisional Government, and which was then re-enacted at Westminster via the Irish Free State Constitution Act 1922 |
8th Dáil | Elected | Irish Free State[n 3] | 1937[n 4] | State of Ireland[n 5] | Passed the Constitution of Ireland, which had been drafted by a committee appointed by the Taoiseach, and which was then adopted by plebiscite[3] |
Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention | Elected | British government | 1975–76 | Northern Ireland | An elected consultative body envisaged as a prelude to devolution, which was dissolved after Unionist and Nationalist members failed to reach any agreement.[4] |
New Ireland Forum | Appointed (Chair), nominated | Irish government | 1983–84 | Whole island | Established by the Dublin government to consider possible constitutional arrangements in view of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.[5] |
Northern Ireland Forum | Elected | British government[6] | 1996–98 | Northern Ireland | Played a subsidiary role in the Northern Ireland peace process, as Sinn Féin boycotted the Forum but not the talks that led to the Good Friday Agreement |
Constitutional Convention | Appointed (Chair), nominated (33), randomly selected (66) | Irish government | 2012–14 | State of Ireland | To consider specified proposed amendments to the existing Constitution.[7] |
- Notes
- ^ After enacting the constitution, the Third Dáil continued as a provisional parliament and then as the first Free State Dáil until the 1923 election.
- ^ The state's territory was technically the whole island till the Parliament of Northern Ireland formally opted out. The Provisional Parliament's members represented only the territory of Southern Ireland.
- ^ See also legality of the enactment of the Constitution of Ireland
- ^ The 8th Dáil was elected in 1933, but the Constitution was not considered by it till March 1937[2]
- ^ Article 2 of the new constitution claimed the whole island as the national territory (though not the state jurisdiction) until a 1999 amendment
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Report of the Proceedings of the Irish Convention. Command papers. Vol. Cd.9019. Dublin: HMSO. 1918. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
- ^ Dáil debates 10 March 1937 Vol.65 cc1435–39
- ^ Keogh, Dermot; McCarthy, Dr. Andrew (2007-01-01). The making of the Irish Constitution 1937: Bunreacht na hÉireann. Mercier Press. ISBN 9781856355612.
- ^ Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention (8 November 1975). Report. HMSO.
- ^ New Ireland Forum Report. Dublin: Stationery Office. 1984.
- ^ Northern Ireland (Entry to Negotiations, etc) Act 1996
- ^ "Tom Arnold of Concern Appointed Chairperson of the Constitutional Convention" (Press release). Government of Ireland. 24 October 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2012.