请输入您要查询的百科知识:

 

词条 Fourth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland
释义

  1. Background

  2. Changes to the text

  3. Oireachtas debate

  4. Result

  5. Implementation

  6. See also

  7. References

  8. External links

{{for|the earlier rejected fourth amendment|Fourth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1968}}{{Infobox referendum
| name = Fourth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland
| title = To lower the voting age from 21 to 18
| location = {{flagicon|Ireland}} Ireland
| date = {{Start date|1972|12|07|df=y}}
| yes = 724836
| no = 131514
| total = 903439
| electorate = 1783604
| map =
}}

The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution Act 1972 is an amendment to the Constitution of Ireland which lowered the voting age for all national elections and referendums in the state from twenty-one to eighteen years of age. It was approved by referendum on 7 December 1972 and signed into law on 5 January 1973.

Background

The Fourth Amendment altered Article 16 which deals with elections to Dáil Éireann (the house of representatives of the Oireachtas). However other provisions of the constitution state that anyone entitled to vote in Dáil elections is also entitled to participate in the election of the President and in referendums, so the amendment affected these votes as well. The amendment did not, however, affect the minimum age at which one could be elected to the Dáil, and this remained at twenty-one.

It was submitted to a referendum on the same day as the Fifth Amendment, which removed from the constitution reference to the "special position" of the Catholic Church and recognition of certain other named denominations.

Changes to the text

The Amendment altered the text of Article 16.1.2º in the following manner:

Deletion from Article (removed text in bold):{{quote frame|Every citizen without distinction of sex who has reached the age of twenty-one years who is not disqualified by law and complies with the provisions of the law relating to the election of members of Dáil Éireann, shall have the right to vote at an election for members of Dáil Éireann.}}Addition to Article 16.1.2 (added text in bold):{{quote frame|Every citizen without distinction of sex who has reached the age of eighteen years who is not disqualified by law and complies with the provisions of the law relating to the election of members of Dáil Éireann, shall have the right to vote at an election for members of Dáil Éireann.}}

Oireachtas debate

On 16 February 1972, Brendan Corish, leader of the Labour Party, proposed a constitutional amendment as a private member's bill to lower the voting age to 18.[1] This was opposed by the Fianna Fáil government as it did not wish to hold such a referendum until after the referendum on the proposed Third Amendment on Accession to the European Communities (which was passed on 10 May 1972).[2]

On 28 June 1972, the Minister for Foreign Affairs Patrick Hillery moved the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1972 on behalf of the Fianna Fáil government.[3] At second stage, it was proposed by the Minister for Local Government Bobby Molloy.[4] It was supported by the opposition parties Fine Gael and the Labour Party, and passed final stages in the Dáil on 11 July.[5] It passed all stages in the Seanad on 13 July, and proceeded to a referendum on 7 December 1972.[6]

Result

{{Referendum
|title = Fourth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland referendum[7]
|yes = 724,836
|yespct = 84.64
|no = 131,514
|nopct = 15.36
|valid = 856,350
|validpct = 94.79
|invalid = 47,089
|invalidpct = 5.21
|total = 903,439
|turnoutpct = 50.65
|electorate = 1,783,604
}}
Results by constituency[7]
ConstituencyElectorate{{nowrap|Turnout (%)VotesProportion of votes
Yes No Yes No
Carlow–Kilkenny59,41555.2%26,6883,96687.1%12.9%
Cavan37,22954.0%16,7371,87589.9%10.1%
Clare39,41347.5%15,3892,17787.6%12.4%
Clare–Galway South34,82052.5%15,4251,75989.8%10.2%
Cork City North-West36,11548.2%12,7373,88176.6%23.4%
Cork City South-East36,47654.1%14,5614,43676.6%23.4%
Cork Mid49,40253.8%21,0694,04083.9%16.1%
Cork North-East50,01654.8%21,5214,20183.7%16.3%
Cork South-West38,28553.1%15,2593,94779.4%20.6%
Donegal North-East37,92443.4%13,6201,40890.6%9.4%
Donegal–Leitrim38,54046.2%15,0921,53890.8%9.2%
Dublin Central46,77543.7%15,6633,75280.7%19.3%
Dublin County North58,76148.6%23,3864,37084.3%15.7%
Dublin County South45,28955.9%20,2394,46181.9%18.1%
Dublin North-Central49,07349.5%18,7344,85079.4%20.6%
Dublin North-East55,48352.9%23,8014,83583.1%16.9%
Dublin North-West44,36946.5%16,4193,47182.5%17.5%
Dublin South-Central50,40048.6%18,9154,98379.1%20.9%
Dublin South-East37,84050.4%14,4853,80979.2%20.8%
Dublin South-West41,74044.8%14,9422,83184.1%15.9%
Dún Laoghaire and Rathdown56,15157.7%25,6566,03281.0%19.0%
Galway North-East34,35847.1%13,8561,29691.4%8.6%
Galway West35,99942.6%12,7471,98186.5%13.5%
Kerry North37,01843.0%13,0881,80192.8%7.2%
Kerry South36,39143.2%12,9671,65288.7%11.3%
Kildare40,06550.6%16,8512,49287.1%12.9%
Laois–Offaly56,34455.0%25,6634,07986.3%13.7%
Limerick East47,00154.5%19,0745,17778.7%21.3%
Limerick West35,90456.4%16,6212,54886.7%13.3%
Longford–Westmeath47,09549.4%18,7382,96486.3%13.7%
Louth40,27850.4%16,2492,98484.5%15.5%
Mayo East34,81046.2%13,8301,27191.6%8.4%
Mayo West34,10644.3%12,7341,32190.6%9.4%
Meath39,04050.2%15,6652,66585.5%14.5%
Monaghan36,21447.3%14,0001,89988.1%11.9%
Roscommon–Leitrim37,68251.3%15,8272,03588.6%11.4%
Sligo–Leitrim38,04948.8%15,0682,12987.6%12.4%
Tipperary North34,75458.0%15,8622,78085.1%14.9%
Tipperary South46,12758.6%21,3423,96384.3%15.7%
Waterford39,51353.6%16,8363,24183.8%16.2%
Wexford49,88152.3%21,1213,40886.1%13.9%
Wicklow39,38952.0%16,3593,20683.6%16.4%
Total1,783,60450.7%724,836131,51484.6%15.4%

Implementation

The 19th Dáil was dissolved on 5 February 1973 and a general election was held on 28 February. However, the electoral register was updated only every 15 April, so those under 21 were unable to vote despite the amendment. A 20-year-old student, represented by Seán MacBride, asked the High Court to postpone the election to vindicate his right to vote.[9] He lost his case, although he was awarded his costs due to its "public importance".[8]

Although the names of under-21s had already been added to the provisional register, it was the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1973 passed on 9 April which reduced the age limits in statute law in line with the amended constitution.[9][10] The first under-21s to vote were a few graduates in the National University of Ireland and University of Dublin elections to the 13th Seanad.

The later Ninth Amendment passed in 1984 altered the text of Article 16.1.2º in a manner which would permit legislation to include certain people who are not citizens to be added to the register for elections to Dáil Éireann. However, the franchise for presidential elections and referendums remained restricted to Irish citizens.

See also

  • Suffrage
  • Politics of the Republic of Ireland
  • History of the Republic of Ireland
  • Constitutional amendment
  • Irish constitutional referendum, December 1972
  • Amendment XXVI to the U.S. Constitution (lowered voting age to 18)

References

1. ^{{cite web|url=https://beta.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1972-02-16/40/|title=Fourth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1972: First Stage.|date=16 February 1972|access-date=28 April 2018|publisher=Houses of the Oireachtas}}
2. ^{{cite web|url=https://beta.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1972-02-23/48/|title=Private Members' Business. - Fourth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1972: First Stage (Resumed).|date=23 February 1972|access-date=28 April 2018|publisher=Houses of the Oireachtas}}
3. ^{{cite web|url=https://beta.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1972-06-28/3/|title=Fourth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1972: First Stage.|date=28 June 1972|access-date=28 April 2018|publisher=Houses of the Oireachtas}}
4. ^{{cite web|url=https://beta.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1972-07-05/5/|title=Fourth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1972: Second Stage|date=5 July 1972|access-date=28 April 2018|publisher=Houses of the Oireachtas}}
5. ^{{cite web|url=https://beta.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1972-07-11/51/|title=Fourth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1972: Committee and Final Stages.|date=11 July 1972|access-date=28 April 2018|publisher=Houses of the Oireachtas}}
6. ^{{cite web|url=https://beta.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/1972-07-13/4/|title=Fourth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1972: Second and Subsequent Stages.|date=13 July 1972|access-date=28 April 2018|publisher=Houses of the Oireachtas}}
7. ^{{cite web|url=http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/migrated-files/en/Publications/LocalGovernment/Voting/referendum_results_1937-2015.pdf|work=Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government|title=Referendum Results 1937–2015|page=29|date=23 August 2016|accessdate=21 April 2018}}
8. ^{{cite book|last=Ferriter|first=Diarmaid|title=Ambiguous Republic: Ireland in the 1970s|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qN-jf5dN7QAC&pg=RA2-PA30|accessdate=30 March 2014|date=1 November 2012|publisher=Profile Books|isbn=9781847658562|pages=94–95}}
9. ^{{cite web|url=http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/debates%20authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/seanad1973033000011|title=Electoral (Amendment) Bill, 1973: Second Stage.|last=O'Leary|first=Michael|date=30 March 1973|work=Seanad Éireann debates|pages=Vol.74. No.6 p.11 cc.513–4|accessdate=30 March 2014}}
10. ^{{cite web|url=http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1973/en/act/pub/0003/index.html|title=Electoral (Amendment) Act, 1973|work=Irish Statute Book|accessdate=30 March 2014}}

External links

  • Fourth Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1972
  • Full text of the Constitution of Ireland
{{Amendments of the Constitution of Ireland}}

11 : 1972 in Irish law|1972 in Irish politics|1972 referendums|1973 in Irish law|1973 in Irish politics|Amendments of the Constitution of Ireland|Constitutional referendums in the Republic of Ireland|Suffrage referendums|December 1972 events in Europe|Electoral reform in the Republic of Ireland|1970s elections in Ireland

随便看

 

开放百科全书收录14589846条英语、德语、日语等多语种百科知识,基本涵盖了大多数领域的百科知识,是一部内容自由、开放的电子版国际百科全书。

 

Copyright © 2023 OENC.NET All Rights Reserved
京ICP备2021023879号 更新时间:2024/11/12 10:36:07