The Challenge of Migration to Legal Systems

Thanks to my colleague Declan Walsh for bringing to my attention the W.G.
Hart Legal Workshop 2004 in London on 'The Challenge of Migration to Legal
Systems' which includes the following papers:

The Celtic cubs: The controversy over birthright citizenship in Ireland
Dr. Bernard Ryan, University of Kent

Equality at the European Union's borders?
Cathryn Costello

The dilemma of forced return: Balancing the integrity of the asylum process
with human rights and development
Catherine Kenny, Irish Centre for Human Rights, Galway

Deportation of Irish born children: Constitutional and refugee law issues
Ciara Smyth and Donncha O'Connell, Faculty of Law, National University of
Ireland, Galway

The Workshop takes place from Tuesday 29th of June to Thursday 1 July 2004.

Full details at
http://ials.sas.ac.uk/events/Jun04.htm

Irish Referendum and Election Results

Polling takes place today (11 June 2004) in the citizenship referendum and the local and European elections.
Results for the citizenship referendum will be available at
http://www.referendum.ie

Results of the elections will be available at
http://www.ireland.com and
http://www.rte.ie/news/

Judge may be removed due to Child Pornography allegations

As a result of credit card usage information received from the US investigation into Landslide Productions, an Irish Judge was prosecuted for possession of child pornography in Ireland but the prosecution failed because the search warrant was out of date. The search warrant was valid for seven days from its date of issue, but the police incorrectly interpreted this as seven 24-hour periods rather than seven calendar days. The Irish Government has moved on 2nd June 2004 to remove the Judge from office by means of a motion before the Oireachtas (Parliament). Before passing the motion, a speedy amendment to the child pornography law was made to allow members of the Oireachtas to possess child pornography in the course of the investigation. The Judge is now seeking a declaration from the courts that any evidence which was declared inadmissible in the criminal trial cannot be used in determining the motion for his removal.

Sample media reports:

http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/0423/curtinb
http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/0527/curtin
http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/0518/curtinb
http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/0526/curtinb
http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/0602/curtin.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/3771287.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/3655115.stm

Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998:
http://www.bailii.org/ie/legis/num_act/ctapa1998303/

Child Trafficking and Pornography (Amendment) Act 2004:
http://www.feargalquinn.ie/m/mchildporn.htm

The Curtin Affair in the Oireachtas:
http://www.feargalquinn.ie/curtin.htm