Expert: No evidence leaflet altered child poll outcome

There is no evidence that should convince the High Court that the effect on voters of the Government’s unlawful information booklet for the Children Referendum had a marked impact on the outcome, an expert on referendums has said.

Michael Marsh, professor of comparative political behaviour at Trinity College Dublin, said evidence to the contrary was based on a “flawed analysis” of a poll of voters carried out for the Referendum Commission after the vote.

The Behaviour & Attuitudes poll of 2,012 voters was carried out days after the referendum was passed on Nov 10, 2012, by a majority of 52% to 48% based on a 33.49% turnout.