A referendum to make the editor of the University Times (UT) impeachable will be held next semester following a motion passed by Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) Council earlier this week.
Should the referendum pass, TCDSU’s constitution would be amended to update the responsibilities of the UT editor.
As well as being subject to impeachment, like other sabbatical roles within the union, the UT editor would be required to submit a written report to Council, as all other officers in the union are mandated to do.
The motion, proposed by TCDSU Education Officer Eoghan Gilroy and seconded by School of Mathematics Convenor Conchúr Ó Cathasaigh, notes that though UT editor is a position elected and funded by students, “there remains very little opportunity for oversight of their work.”
The proposed amendments outline that “while the editor of the University Times shall be guaranteed editorial independence from the union, this shall not be construed to override any other provision contained within chapter six of this constitution,” which has to do with motions of censure.
Gilroy highlighted in his introduction of the motion that his proposal of the motion has nothing to do with the paper’s current editor or leadership.
TCDSU President Jenny Maguire spoke in favour of the motion, saying that “we’ve seen consistent fundamental issues in the running of the University Times,” adding that “we aren’t having this discussion about Trinity News”.
She reiterated Gilroy’s point that this motion is not a reaction to the paper’s current editor, Brídín Ní Fhearraigh-Joyce.
Maguire stated that the paper has seen a consistent failure in engagement and that an overhaul of how the paper is run is necessary.
The motion was opposed and questioned by some, highlighting concerns about editorial independence and censure.
Current TCDSU Engagements officer James Carey spoke in opposition of the motion, stating that UT editor is not an impeachable position “by design”.
Carey highlighted that UT is currently supervised by an oversight board, and that the adoption of these amendments “seriously raises questions for journalistic integrity in college”.
Carey said: “UT should be able to operate without fearing consequences from the Union”.
In 2022, an original drafter of the current TCDSU constitution confirmed to Trinity News that it was deliberate that UT editor not be an impeachable position.
The original drafter said that the decision to not include UT editor as a sabbatical officer, and thus an impeachable role, was “deliberate and appropriate at the time,” and this decision means that it is not possible to impeach the UT editor under the current constitution.
The position has come under greater scrutiny since 2022, when 32 members of staff called for the resignation of the editor, threatening impeachment proceedings. When the editor refused to resign, the union’s electoral commission ruled that impeachment was not possible – despite a prior informal indication that it may be.
