Twenty-third Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland

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Twenty-third Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland
Flag of Ireland.svg
7 June 2001 (2001-06-07)
To permit the state to become a party to the International Criminal Court
Results
Choice
Votes %
Check-71-128-204-brightblue.svgYes629,23464.22%
Light brown x.svgNo350,51235.78%
Valid votes979,74698.21%
Invalid or blank votes17,8191.79%
Total votes997,565100.00%
Registered voters/turnout2,867,96034.78%

The Twenty-third Amendment of the Constitution Act 2001 of the Constitution of Ireland is an amendment that permitted the state to become a party to the International Criminal Court (ICC). It was approved by referendum on 7 June 2001 and signed into law on the 27 March 2002. The referendum was held on the same day as referendums on the prohibition of the death penalty, which was also approved, and on the ratification of the Nice Treaty, which was rejected.

Contents

Background

The Statute of the International Criminal Court established the International Criminal Court. As its ratification would affect Ireland's sovereignty and powers and functions elsewhere in the Constitution, under the decision of the Supreme Court in Crotty v. An Taoiseach (1987), an amendment was required before it could be ratified.

Changes to the text

Insertion of new Article 29.9:

The State may ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court done at Rome on the 17th day of July, 1998.

Oireachtas debate

The Twenty-third Amendment was proposed in Dáil Éireann by Minister for Foreign Affairs Brian Cowen on behalf of the Fianna Fáil–Progressive Democrats coalition government led by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. [1] It had the support of all parties and it passed final stages in the Dáil on 12 April. [2] It passed final stages in the Seanad on 2 May and proceeded to a referendum on 11 June 2001. [3]

Result

Twenty-third Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland referendum [4]
ChoiceVotes %
Check-71-128-204-brightblue.svg Yes629,23464.22
No350,51235.78
Valid votes979,74698.21
Invalid or blank votes17,8191.79
Total votes997,565100.00
Registered voters/turnout2,867,96034.78
Results by constituency [4]
ConstituencyElectorateTurnout (%)VotesProportion of votes
YesNoYesNo
Carlow–Kilkenny 92,47034.1%19,74711,09464.1%35.9%
Cavan–Monaghan 85,80334.6%18,80310,18464.9%35.1%
Clare 76,22730.8%15,2517,76766.3%33.7%
Cork East 68,70735.6%14,4209,55560.2%39.8%
Cork North-Central 75,03833.4%14,8179,81760.2%39.8%
Cork North-West 49,74937.4%10,8907,20660.2%39.8%
Cork South-Central 90,79037.2%22,11211,14466.5%33.5%
Cork South-West 50,67737.0%11,8696,42264.9%35.1%
Donegal North-East 55,03527.6%8,4466,42856.8%43.2%
Donegal South-West 52,67128.6%8,1756,57255.5%44.5%
Dublin Central 61,29033.7%11,3778,92656.1%43.9%
Dublin North 70,32137.8%18,2628,03969.5%30.5%
Dublin North-Central 64,00743.1%17,4909,89763.9%36.1%
Dublin North-East 59,87739.8%15,4198,18165.4%34.6%
Dublin North-West 57,28438.3%13,5528,10662.6%37.4%
Dublin South 93,03842.5%28,19510,92972.1%27.9%
Dublin South-Central 65,54239.1%15,5519,63861.8%38.2%
Dublin South-East 58,82039.6%15,7777,06669.1%30.9%
Dublin South-West 81,26631.9%15,6139,99661.0%39.0%
Dublin West 77,76034.4%17,9568,60167.7%32.3%
Dún Laoghaire 86,54942.8%26,44310,16472.3%27.7%
Galway East 65,63329.6%12,0236,95163.4%36.6%
Galway West 83,17629.5%15,5368,50364.7%35.3%
Kerry North 53,36632.8%9,9027,17858.0%42.0%
Kerry South 48,99232.0%9,5855,69062.8%37.2%
Kildare North 59,03534.4%14,0995,98570.3%29.7%
Kildare South 51,14232.3%10,6905,55665.9%34.1%
Laois–Offaly 90,98732.2%18,22110,37863.8%36.2%
Limerick East 80,33934.5%17,28110,01463.4%36.6%
Limerick West 49,16034.8%10,4266,17862.8%37.2%
Longford–Roscommon 67,30532.0%12,9548,08361.6%38.4%
Louth 78,00734.0%16,4289,66763.0%37.0%
Mayo 90,33630.1%15,84010,69459.7%40.3%
Meath 101,88832.6%21,81710,88066.8%33.2%
Sligo–Leitrim 66,74835.2%14,0008,93061.1%38.9%
Tipperary North 56,27834.0%12,0626,58564.7%35.3%
Tipperary South 53,46337.1%12,0987,20562.7%37.3%
Waterford 71,94635.0%15,8458,79764.4%35.6%
Westmeath 51,66431.6%9,5386,47459.6%40.4%
Wexford 90,50733.4%19,15610,46764.7%35.3%
Wicklow 85,06738.3%21,02911,01665.7%34.3%
Total2,867,96034.8%628,695350,96364.2%35.8%

Aftermath

The International Criminal Court came into force on 1 July 2002.

Note on numbering

The Twenty-third Amendment Bill was put to the people with the Twenty-first and Twenty-fourth Amendment Bills. This is because the Twenty-second Amendment of the Constitution Bill was withdrawn by the government during the course of debate in the Oireachtas. There was therefore no Twenty-second Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland, as the title of legislation is not changed on its enactment.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Twenty-third Amendment to the Constitution Bill, 2001: Second Stage". Houses of the Oireachtas. 11 April 2001. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  2. ↑ "Twenty-third Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 2001: Committee and Remaining Stages". Houses of the Oireachtas. 12 April 2001. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  3. ↑ "Twenty-third Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 2001: Committee Stage and Remaining Stages". Houses of the Oireachtas. 2 May 2001. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  4. 1 2 "Referendum Results 1937–2015" (PDF). Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government . 23 August 2016. p. 66. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
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