The Invisible Referendum

Sir, - W.J. Murphy (June 15th) believes that Patricia McKenna "did us a disservice in taking legal action that in effect prevents…

Sir, - W.J. Murphy (June 15th) believes that Patricia McKenna "did us a disservice in taking legal action that in effect prevents the Government from explaining in simple terms why they want to make a certain change to the Constitution."

She did no such thing. It is important to remember just what happened to bring about the McKenna judgement. The government of the day spent £250,000 which rightly belonged to the anti-divorce campaigners, trying to persuade the electorate to vote for divorce. It is this abuse of power and the public purse which the McKenna judgement stopped. Patricia McKenna is to be congratulated in particular because her own viewpoint was pro-divorce. Rarely do we witness such examples of an objective viewpoint.

The McKenna judgement does not prevent the Government from issuing objective information on a proposed referendum, but it does prevent it from giving preference to one citizen's viewpoint over another citizen's viewpoint. Surely this is what equality really means. - Yours, etc., John Lacken,

Tawnylea, Drumkeeran, Co. Leitrim.