Access to marriage: consanguinity and affinity prohibitions in national and international context

Despite the enormous social changes which have taken place in Ireland in recent decades, marriage remains a popular institution in the jurisdiction. According to the Central Statistics Office of Ireland, over 22,000 marriages were registered in 2017.1 As the Supreme Court recently observed: ‘Despite the factual reality that many couples do not choose to marry, marriage remains a central feature of Irish life for the majority.’2 Further emphasising its importance in Ireland, the court noted that the constitutional pledge to guard the institution of marriage with ‘special care’ as carried in Article 41.3.1°, ‘remains in place and must be accorded full respect’.