A three judge High Court will rule on Monday on a significant constitutional action over whether there is, as of now, a validly constituted Seanad entitled to sit and pass laws. When the case concluded on Thursday, High Court president Ms Justice Mary Irvine said the court had considered a request to give its decision on Friday and provide its reasons later, but the court did not consider that to be advisable. Their case against An Taoiseach, Ireland and the Attorney General centres on interpretation of various provisions of the Constitution, particularly Article 18. Article 18.1 provides the Seanad “shall be composed of sixty members, of whom eleven shall be nominated members and forty-nine shall be elected members”. The plaintiffs argue the outgoing Taoiseach had, from the time 49 members of the Seanad were elected on April 4th, power to advise the President to fix a date for the convening of the Seanad.

Source: The Irish Times June 25, 2020 12:11 UTC