Polygamy in Ireland
December 17th, 2003 | by aobaoill |Now this is an interesting story: a man gains refugee status in Ireland. In accordance with custom and law, his family is allowed to join him. Only problem is that he has two wives (he is a Muslim from the Lebanon, where this is legal). Irish officials only allow one wife (his second) to join him on grounds of ‘public policy’.
Given that we are dealing with a family unit, and the Irish constitution recognises the primacy of the family, should all be allowed entry? Or would this endanger the ban on polygamy in the country?
2 Responses to “Polygamy in Ireland”
By Clancy on Dec 18, 2003 | Reply
Hey, Andrew, I’m surprised you haven’t blogged about the news coverage of the Saddam Hussein capture. The last couple of times I’ve checked in here, I’ve been looking expectantly for your comments on it.
By Andrew Ó Baoill on Dec 19, 2003 | Reply
A good point. I’ve actually refrained generally from posting due to my hectic essay-writing schedule. However, Saddam’s capture was a fascinating development. Several sources have at this point noted that showing the medical examination – examining him for nits for example – of Saddam was a breach of international law, given that it exposed him to ridicule and curiosity.
I’m happy, though, that he has been caught – he was a terrible tyrant. It’s funny however, seeing the discussions over what format his trial should take. Not so much whether Iraqis should play a role, but how a court could be constituted if the trial could not take place in Iraq. The US point, for example, to the Hague investigation into the former Yugoslavia (where Milosovic is currently being tried). They are forced, however, to ignore the obvious: the International Criminal Court, formed for just such cases, since they have opted to denigrate it (just in case a US citizen were to face prosecution for war crimes).