Would-be candidate Brian Mohan loses case against gender quotas

Fianna Fáil activist Brian Mohan has lost his legal challenge to laws linking the State’s funding of political parties to their meeting specified gender quota targets when selecting candidates for general elections.

Mr Mohan challenged the constitutionality of provisions of the Electoral (Political Funding) Act 2012 which halve the State funding of parties who fail to ensure at least 30% of their general election candidates are women and 30% are men. That percentage is intended to rise to 40% after seven years.

Because Mr Justice David Keane found Mr Mohan did not have the required legal standing to bring the case, the issue of the constitutionality of the 2012 law was not addressed.