In 1989, the four sabbatical officers of TCDSU/AMLCT were sure they were going to prison. The Society for the Protection of the Unborn had spent the 1980s shutting down clinics that distributed abortion information – and student unions were their next target. They sought a court order that the union cease distribution of information, with similar steps taken against The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) and University College Dublin Students’ Union. During Freshers Week, the student union guidebook was distributed anyway. Inside was a clear breakdown of groups you could talk to and whether they were pro or anti-choice. It also told students of the costs of an abortion and more. They were served with a penal notice almost immediately, leading to a tumultuous year filled with threats, vandalism and their case going as far as the Irish supreme court.
From February 5th to the 7th, you will be asked to vote in a referendum across campus. If the referendum passes, the union’s constitution will change from “The Union shall pursue these objectives independent of any political, racial or religious ideology.” to “The Union shall pursue these objectives independent of any political party or religious organisation.” This section of the TCDSU Constitution (Chapter 1.5) is preceded by an outline of these objectives, including to improve the quality of education, to provide welfare and social amenities to its members, and to do so without discrimination for protected groups – including political grouping and creed. This section will remain unchanged.
Why was this brought forward? This section of the constitution has been hotly contested by the worst people in the world – student union hacks. It has caused great uncertainty and confusion in recent years due to its vagueness. What is and isn’t a political ideology? Is the pursuit of a free education not …political? Politicians have always made policy that dictates access to education, and thus deciding who gets to be a member or not of our university. What is a racial ideology? Should SU officers be impeached for being anti-racist under our current constitution? This has been incredibly unclear, and so it was clear something had to change – and many have tried.
In 2022, under the presidency of Leah Keogh, a new constitution for the union was being drafted, a common practice for SUs across the country. Inside it was a proposal to change the now hotly contested section of the constitution. It sought to change the current wording to “The Union shall pursue these objectives independent of any political party and of any religious ideology” and was agreed upon with little opposition. This constitution ultimately fell apart, and attempts are still being made to create another one.
So what then? Last year, the union voted not once, not twice, but three times on different wordings to amend this section of the constitution. The then president László Molnárfi’s final attempt to amend the constitution led to a “compromise motion” as he describes it. It mandated the next sabbatical officer team to bring a proposed referendum that “should allow the union to criticise political ideologies and political parties, but will have the necessary safeguards in place to prevent abuse of power”. The current SU team did public call outs and two town halls, and created the current wording that passed with 80% of the vote among class reps – now it is our turn.
The wording changes the broad term of ideology to either “political party” or “religious organisation”. This section of the constitution is fundamentally about influences upon the union outside of its members. It is a safety net to ensure the work being done is done for the members, not to serve the interest of any party or group. Critics of the wording have said it could isolate those with strong connections or ties to a particular religious group or political party … and they have a point. The union is for students and researchers and should serve their interests and needs alone. TCDSU/AMLCT is a representative body, with policy of the union being voted on by class representatives elected by students – it is their voice and their voice alone that matters. When the union received support from zero politicians over the distribution of abortion information, it didn’t matter because it was the students that supported the move, and that is the only thing our body should care about.
The current wording doesn’t work for anyone. Whether you think the union should be focused on just the cost of nurses scrubs or on creating a wider political movement for a fairer world for everyone (or both!), the current wording doesn’t suit you either way. Discussions around the wording have been so disconnected from each other because interpreting the current wording allows you to take almost anything from it. This is how we have seen some groups on campus use this issue to attack the union’s pro-choice and pro-Palestine position – but we must not be distracted by that. Those are positions voted on by its members, and this safeguard to our members must not be abused by these groups. This referendum is about clarity, don’t let a few debate bros tell you otherwise.
Something lost in the conversation around this referendum is what other student unions do. The majority of them, in fact, have almost zero reference to any kind of clause like this. Somehow, they have not become independent communist micro-states nor hubs of christian-nationalism. I know we think we’re class in Trinity, but the concern and over-importance placed on a single line in a document longer than the Irish constitution may require us all to go outside and take a deep breath or two.
This referendum went forward because it was mandated to do so. Just as the SU are mandated to hold open office hours, to promote supports for Health Science students, and to run a union that supports Palestinian liberation. All of these things are done because a majority of student representatives decided it – not anyone else. We vote, we lose, we win and we keep going. That’s democracy, baby. The history of the Union has been one of enormous change for not just ourselves, but our entire island. We have shown we are a powerful force, on a ground level too. Where we focus and what we care about matters, but we must ensure it matters to us alone – not to a party or religious organization. If adopted this constitutional amendment will give us clarity in our actions as an independent Student Union, we will be able to further amplify the voices of Trinity Students and criticise and call out anti-student policies more effectively.
