Seanad debates

Wednesday, 18 June 2003

European Convention on Human Rights Bill 2001: Second Stage.

 

There is only one right to freedom in our law, the right guaranteed by the Constitution. The same applies to the right to free speech and other rights, numerated and unenumerated, in the Constitution. They exist as a matter of constitutional right and entitlement for citizens and do not derive from or depend on the convention. People speak about the convention right to family and marriage. I emphasise that the Constitution deals with that issue also and that the only reason we subscribed to and ratified the convention was that it was consistent with the Constitution, not vice versa.

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