Of Laws and Men

Even those who are not familiar with Californian politics may have heard of the ballot initiative, which gave us the infamous "three strikes" law, whereby a person convicted of three serious crimes must be imprisoned for life. I abhor that law, but rather like the idea of a ballot initiative.

You could be forgiven, then, for thinking that I might, like Fine Gaeler John Carroll, be enthused by the Citizens' Initiative provision in the Treaty.

Well, I am not.

I cannot understand how anyone could seriously enthuse about this meaningless idea. With no Lisbon Treaty, it is just as easy (or difficult) for one million voters to propose something to the Commission. Even if the Treaty is ratified, such a proposal will have just as much, or as little, legal status as it would do now. The Commission, which has the monopoly on initiating legislation at Union level, would be obliged to consider any Citizens' Initiative that it might receive, but "consideration" does not have to be more than a quick glance on the way to the waste-paper basket.