Richard Dawkins blasts Ireland's new blasphemy law

In a statement read before Atheist Ireland's first AGM (Annual General Meeting), Richard Dawkins, author, evolutionary biologist and prominent atheist, said,

 

 

He said it would be too kind to call the law a ridiculous anachronism.

 

 

The bright spark in this instance, was Dermot Ahern, Ireland's Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The preamble to Ireland's 1937 constitution says that all state authority is derived from the "Most Holy Trinity" and the constitution itself not only states that public homage is due to "Almighty God", but that blasphemy is an offense that shall be punishable by law. This requirement was fulfilled previously through a 1961 defamation act which Ahern has repealed. In order not to leave a constitutional "void", the minister has said that a new law was required to replace it. He also said that he was amending the new law to “make it virtually impossible to get a successful prosecution”. This was unnecessary since the Irish Supreme Court had ruled in 1999 that the old blasphemy law was unenforceable and Ireland has gotten along well despite this "void" in it's constitution for nigh on 10 years already.

 

For further information on the actual clauses and penalties of Ireland's new blasphemy law, try Staks Rosch's excellent article on the subject here.

 

Photo credits: Picture courtesy of Photobucket.

 

If you found this article interesting, you might want to click on "Subscribe by email" at the top of the page. That way you'll be notified whenever a new article of mine appears.