Civil Partnership Commencement Order Signing

Interviews with Dermot Ahern TD, Minister for Justice and Law Reform, Kieran Rose, Chair and Co-founder of GLEN, Christopher Robson, Board Member and Co-founder of GLEN, Muriel Walls, Solicitor and Family Law Expert, Dr. Fergus Ryan, Head, Department of Law DIT.

The signing of the Civil Partnership Commencement Orders by Dermot Ahern TD, Minister for Justice and Law Reform on Thursday 23rd December 2010 in the Clonliffe Room, Jury’s Hotel, Croke Park Stadium, Jones Road, Dublin.

The signing of a Commencement Order is a rarely seen final part of the process to implement an Act which has been passed by the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament), then signed into law by Uachtaráin na hEireann (President of Ireland) and finally implemented on the signing of the Commencement Order by the responsible Government Minister.

The title of the Act is ‘Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010’ and was first presented to Dáil Éireann (lower house of the Irish Parliament) at the First Stage on 24th June 2009 (entitled ‘Civil Partnership Bill 2009’). Completed the the Fifth Stage without a vote on the 1st July 2010. Presented to Seanad Éireann (upper house of the Irish Parliament) on the 7th July 2010. It finally passed both houses of the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament) on the 8th July 2010 after a vote of 48 to 4. It was signed into law by Mary McAlese, Uachtaráin na hEireann (President of Ireland), on the 19th July 2010. The signing of the Commencement Order was on 23rd December 2010, the commencement date is 3rd January 2011. For a full history of the Act please see the Oireachtas.ie website.

Further information and analysis of the Act from beginning to end is available on the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network website, glen.ie.