The Constitution Review Group was a group established by the Government of Ireland in 1995 to review the Constitution of Ireland

Constitution of Ireland

The Constitution of Ireland is the fundamental law of the Irish state. The constitution falls broadly within the liberal democratic tradition. It establishes an independent state based on a system of representative democracy and guarantees certain fundamental rights, along with a popularly elected...

 and to recommend alterations

Amendments to the Constitution of Ireland

An amendment may be made to any part of the Constitution of Ireland but only by referendum. An amendment must first be approved by both Houses of the Oireachtas , then submitted to a referendum, and finally signed into law by the President....

. The group was chaired by T. K. Whitaker

T. K. Whitaker

T.K. "Ken" Whitaker is an Irish economist and former public servant, credited with a pivotal role in the economic development of Ireland...

 and had fifteen members selected from different backgrounds, though lawyers predominated.

The terms of reference

Terms of reference

Terms of reference describe the purpose and structure of a project, committee, meeting, negotiation, or any similar collection of people who have agreed to work together to accomplish a shared goal. The terms of reference of a project are often referred to as the project charter.- Terms of...

 for the Group were:

...to review the Constitution, and in the light of this review, to establish those areas where constitutional change may be desirable or necessary, with a view to assisting the All-Party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution, to be established by the Oireachtas

Oireachtas

The Oireachtas , sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the "national parliament" or legislature of Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of:*The President of Ireland*The two Houses of the Oireachtas :**Dáil Éireann...

, in its work.

The Group was excused by its terms of reference from considering Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution of Ireland

Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution of Ireland

Article 2 and Article 3 of the Constitution of Ireland were adopted with the constitution as a whole on 29 December 1937, but completely revised by means of the Nineteenth Amendment which took effect on 2 December 1999...

 and matters relating to cabinet

Cabinet (government)

A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...

 confidentiality

Confidentiality

Confidentiality is an ethical principle associated with several professions . In ethics, and in law and alternative forms of legal resolution such as mediation, some types of communication between a person and one of these professionals are "privileged" and may not be discussed or divulged to...

.

The Report of the Constitution Review Group was published in July 1996 and run to 700 pages. This is said to be the most thorough analysis of the Constitution of Ireland ever made.