Defining ‘religious body’ under Irish marriage law

Census 2022 shows an ever more diverse religious landscape in the Republic of Ireland. Recent marriage data published by the Central Statistics Office further speaks to the dramatic socio-religious shifts which have taken place in the jurisdiction, particularly over the past 20 years. Yet, although there has been a rapid proliferation of legislatively recognised religious bodies under Irish marriage law, specifically the Civil Registration Act 2004 (as amended), this development appears to have largely gone unnoticed, attracting little (if any) academic attention. This article therefore seeks to place the spotlight on how the definition of ‘religious body’ pursuant to the 2004 Act (as amended) has been interpreted by the Registrar General and highlights how the legislative machinery facilitating the legal recognition of such bodies is being utilised in practice as a result. It then considers the correctness of the Registrar General’s liberal understanding of the term ‘worship’ before turning to explore whether this interpretation is likely to have any broader implications for the understanding of ‘religion’ or ‘religious body’ in other legislative or constitutional contexts.