Lecture on religion and the Maltese Constitution : some reflections

Abstract

Probably the first taste of religion in constitutional affairs may be found in the mid-19th century in 1870 when a referendum was held to ask the limited electorate of that time, whether ecclesiastics could contest political elections. The result was an stounding yes. 96% voted in favour, though only 59.53% of the 2464 eligible voters cast their vote. It is interesting to note that all referenda in Malta’s constitutional history have returned a yes vote: integration in 1956, the Independence Constitution in 1964, the EU accession in March 2003, the divorce referendum in 2010 and the spring hunting one in 2014.