The result of the referendum on the Eighth Amendment could be undermined if a legal challenge about voting rights for Irish citizens in Northern Ireland is not decided beforehand, the High Court has heard. Lawyers for a Belfast student who wants to bring a legal challenge to the exclusion of people in Northern Ireland from voting in the May referendum say the case must be heard beforehand or risk invalidating the result. Roisin Morelli is seeking permission from the High Court to bring the challenge. She says citizens of Northern Ireland have a constitutional right to vote in such referendums.
She says the Government has given no reason as to why this constitutional right is curtailed for those who live in Northern Ireland and this is wholly irrational. Her application will be heard on Friday.
This morning lawyers for the State argued that hearing the case and dealing with any effect of a court order would be an impossibility before the referendum takes place in May.
Senior Counsel Conor Power told the court the case involved significant issues with potentially far reaching effects and these could not be addressed in a short period of time.
Full Article: Legal challenge over NI voting rights in referendum.