Constitutional convention meets to discuss blasphemy laws

The Convention on the Constitution is meeting this weekend to discuss the constitutional ban on blasphemy.

Academics and legal experts will provide background and analysis on the issue and interest groups will present their cases.

The recommendations of the Convention will be reported to the Government, which will then decide if a referendum is needed on the issue.

"What's at issue is whether this particular provision, which says that blasphemy should be punishable by law - whether that should remain or not in the Constitution," Tom Arnold, the Convention's chairman, said.

"I think a supplementary issue we'll be dealing with [is] were it to be taken from the Constitution, is there some other way in which the idea of protecting people from blasphemous utterances could be dealt with in other forms of law."

The Convention will prepare a report following their discussion, which will be sent to the Oireachtas for debate and decision within four months.