Out with
Manchester University Press is Drafting the
Irish Free State Constitution by Laura Cahillane, University of
Limerick. From the publisher:
Drafting the Irish Free State Constitution challenges the myths surrounding the Irish Free Constitution by analysing the document in its proper historical context, by looking at how the Constitution was drafted and elucidating the true nature of the document. It examines the reasons why the Constitution did not function as anticipated and investigates whether the failures of the document can be attributed to errors of judgement in the drafting process or to subsequent events and treatment of the document.
As well as giving a comprehensive account of the drafting stages and an analysis of the three alternative drafts for the first time, the book considers the intellectual influences behind the Constitution and the central themes of the document. This work constitutes a new look at this historic document through a legal lens and the analysis benefits from the advantage of hindsight as well as from the fact that the archival material is now available.
Here is the
TOC:
Foreword by
Mr Justice Gerard Hogan
Introduction
1. The
Constitution Committee and the beginning of the drafting process
2. The
drafts
3.
Consideration by the government of the three drafts
4. British
reaction to the draft constitution
5. Debates
in the constituent assembly
6. Themes
and influences
7. The
people's constitution
8.
Anti-party politics
9. The
legacy of the Irish Free State Constitution
Conclusion
Further
information is available here.
