Results 1-20 of 47 for blasphemy segment:3139713

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Ivana Bacik: ...Amendment) Act 1990. I wanted to clarify that with the Minister. I want to address the substance of these provisions and express my strong opposition to the statutory definition of the offence of blasphemy. I do not say the Minister is creating a new offence of blasphemy. I accept he seeks to insert a statutory definition of a common law offence that is also stated in the Constitution....

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Joe O'Toole: Rather than repeat comments made by previous speakers, I propose examining where the proposal on blasphemy sits within the law, what is its intent and where it came from. I gently correct the Minister on the matter of where the offence of blasphemy stands in the Constitution. While the offence is referred to in the Constitution, it existed before the Constitution was drawn up, yet no one...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The definition of blasphemy we have put in this Bill is along the same lines as that recommended by the Law Reform Commission. Senator Regan made the case that there needs to be an offence of blasphemy. He acknowledged that on his first and second interventions. However, his amendment proposes to delete the entire article.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Ivana Bacik: The Supreme Court did not strike down section 13 of the 1961 Act, nor was there any pressing urgency. Further, no prosecutions for blasphemy had been initiated which could not be sustained. As I indicated, I disagree with the Minister on whether it was necessary to insert a statutory definition of blasphemy. It is unfortunate this has been done. If the interpretation had been agreed, an...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

David Norris: ...with by other laws, for example, those pertaining to conduct likely to provoke a breach of the peace, public disorder or similar. Thus, they are already covered. In other jurisdictions, of course, blasphemy is much more of a live concept. Quite recently the Pakistani Supreme Court upheld a judgment that only death was the appropriate punishment for blasphemy. The journalist Sayed Pervis...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Eugene Regan: ...of the change emerged. I proposed a variation of this to the Minister which would take cognisance of the suggestion he makes that we have an obligation to make some provision for the offence of blasphemy, that is, to define that defence in the context of the legislation on incitement to hatred. My proposal was that the offence provided for under section 2 of the Prohibition of Incitement...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

David Norris: The Minister spoke about the urgent necessity for fixing this because there had been a case some time ago on blasphemy that was rather unusual and unlikely to be repeated. I do not believe the judges in that case directed the Oireachtas to make the changes the Minister is talking about. Even if they did, it is clear from a study of the record that this and many other Ministers have blithely...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Eugene Regan: I find the response of the Minister unconvincing. He referred to my presentation on outlining the positions in relation on this whole issue of blasphemy in other EU member states, the United Nations and the Holy See, and how it is generally interpreted and applied as being offensive to the followers of a particular religion, giving rise to civil unrest or other implications. That is the...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Ivana Bacik: ...as Senator Regan said, at very short notice, was subject to a guillotine in the Dáil and with which I fundamentally disagree. This amendment, which gave a statutory definition for the offence of blasphemy, was a most backward and regressive step which was not required by the Supreme Court in the Corway decision. Reading the Corway judgment again, it does not require legislation to be...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Eugene Regan: This aspect of the Defamation Bill, namely, blasphemy was not in the Bill that was initiated in this House. We never had the opportunity to debate and discuss the matter until today. It was tabled as an amendment to the Bill as passed by the Seanad by the Minister in the Dáil. The debate in the Dáil was guillotined, so there was no debate on this matter in the Dáil. As we are rushing...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dan Boyle: The offence of blasphemy is archaic. It is borne out of a jurisprudence which saw the development of events in an era where church and State were seen as a single entity. It is an offence that should be made obsolete and has been made so in other jurisdictions. It cannot be confused with the right of people to believe and to have that right respected. The difficulty in continuing to...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

David Norris: ...society, and the term "necessary" must be taken quite literally and means the restriction must not be merely useful or reasonable. The Minister suggested the re-introduction of the offence of blasphemy is useful. From his point of view politically it may well be. However, he has certainly demonstrated that it is unnecessary, and for that reason it fails the test of the fundamental...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: ...ceases to amaze me. I listened intently to Senator Regan and, whether we like it, he made his case. He acknowledged that we are obliged under the Constitution to provide for a criminal offence of blasphemy. There is no getting away from that. He tried to claim that I said there was no alternative, even though I made it clear that there are two alternatives - to hold a referendum on the...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Paddy Burke: Group 5 concerns the abolition of certain common law offences - blasphemy and libel - and the seizure of copies of blasphemous statements, the subject matter of amendments Nos. 28 to 30, inclusive.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

David Norris: He is suggesting that we add a referendum to remove blasphemy to the second referendum on the Lisbon treaty.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

David Norris: The Government can get the blasphemy law through first.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: -----asking at the same time if they want to take blasphemy out of the Constitution. I hazard a guess that Senator Norris might not get the response he wants when he knocks on doors in O'Hanlon Park.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

David Norris: I accept the Minister's invitation to travel to Dundalk and knock on doors with him. The Minister can do Lisbon and I will do blasphemy.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I have nothing more to say other than what I said about trying to suggest blasphemy and incitement to hatred are the same issue; they are not.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Eugene Regan: We define blasphemy.