A chara, - The question of whether or not they would sign into law any bills passed by the Oireachtas, irrespective of their own personal beliefs or moral values, has been asked of all the presidential candidates. Most have answered that they would do so, as such legislation would represent the will of the people.
But legislation passed by the Oireachtas does not necessarily represent the will of the people. Pressure groups can take advantage of a weak government, perhaps depending on minority support to stay in office, to get laws passed which would be contrary to the will of the majority of the people.
Is there no provision for a President to refuse to sign a Bill on conscientious grounds without having to resign from office?
In this century there is no lack of examples of heads of states with democratically-elected parliaments signing into law bills which are devastatingly destructive of human rights, e.g. in Germany, Italy, Sweden. Disclaiming moral responsibility because of the constraints of office would seem a hollow self-justification to those whose lives were lost or blighted as a consequence. - Yours, etc.,
From Patricia Bailey
Killiney, Co Dublin.
Correspondence on the presidential election is now closed until voting is completed.