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THE IRISH HUMAN Rights Commission is to submit a review of the Expert Group’s report on abortion to the Government.
It is to make recommendations to the government in relation to the measures which it considers should be taken to uphold human rights in the State. It will also engage with the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on the issue.
The review will include consideration of the options put forward by the Expert Group, and whether they would meet Ireland’s obligation to execute the judgement in the A, B, C vs Ireland case, and whether legislation and regulations are required.
It will also look at what subject matter should be addressed in the options in terms of legislation, regulations and/or guidelines, and the appropriate timescale for their implementation. The review will consider whether the rights protected under Article 40, including the right of the unborn under Article 40.3.3 of the Constitution, can be secured under options as proposed by the Expert Group.
Finally, the IHRC will examine if the recommendations of the Expert Group are implemented, whether the State may accrue legal risks in relation to its international human rights obligations under international conventions it has ratified.
Amnesty International
Amnesty International welcomed the announcement and confirmed that it will be submitting its recommendations to this review and directly to the Irish Government.
It also called for immediate short-term action by the government. Amnesty International said that any legislative action that falls short of affirming the X case or which seeks to restrict lawful abortion “would constitute a row back of human rights”.
Colm O’Gorman, Executive Director of Amnesty International Ireland, said:
States should repeal any law that permits the imprisonment or any other criminal sanction on women who seek or have an abortion. Such criminal sanctions should also not be imposed on those who provide information about abortions or carry them out.
The organisation noted that a number of the options outlined in the Expert Group have potential as positive steps which the government could take.
It welcomed the report’s acknowledgment that “A balance ought to be achieved between ensuring a patient’s access to lawful medical treatment whilst also recognising an individual’s conscientious objection, insofar as possible.”
However, it signalled its concern about the report’s view that doctors are the only appropriate decision makers on termination of pregnancy in cases where it is deemed that the woman’s life it at risk.
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There is really no arguing with or appealing to the common sense of a person who genuinely believes that any form of abortion is unjustified. According to their garbled logic, women are better off living in a country where the health, well-being and on occasion right to existence of a sentient, adult woman is worth less than an unaware, unborn foetus. If these people accept that life starts at conception, they are essentially placing the potential of a morula of cells over the life of the woman, reducing her to the role of an incubator. These are obvious points. Why do they need to be repeated ad nauseum?
Whatever about availability of abortion on demand or similar, sensible discussion of the issue should not be screamed down to the point that we cannot even obtain modest reform i.e. termination of non-viable pregnancies or where there is a risk to the woman’s health (as opposed to waiting until it is a clear threat to her life, at which point it may be too late). For the love of Christ, the only country in Europe with abortion laws this restrictive is Malta (worse). Spain, Italy, Poland are all Catholic countries and they are not in this idiotic situation. Seriously, what the Hell is the matter with us?
Sarah, sadly the issue of termination attracts the utterances of zealots whose worship of the foetus renders them utterly blind to respect for women. I think that your post expresses the essential truth of what is at issue in a rational and sensible manner.
To be honest it embarrasses me to read the posts by the largely male pro-life supporters. Mr. Hesketh is a sadly typical example of the absolutism and dogma that they preach.
The life and health of a single woman is worth more than all the foetuses in the world. Late terminations are undesirable but are better avoided by a much less legally restrictive regime than applies at the moment.
What a load of shit that is . Human rights my arse . Amnesty international now supports abortion as a ‘right ‘for the woman but says nothing of the rights of the foetus/baby. But that is the crucial issue with abortion, the moral status of the foetus/child . If it was not so ,there would be no problem in the process. The pro abortionists tactically ignore the child and pretend that he/she has no rights ever. They talk about a woman’s right to choose and purposely sidestep the issue of time limits and reasons for killing. Now we have Amnesty saying that they are concerned at only doctors having a role in saying whether the mother’s life is in danger .Who else do they want to have a say ? Let us not forget that abortion is a big business . Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers want abortion freely available as it is their livelihood . They make money out of killing babies and mutilating women physically and psychologically . One cannot expect them to be impartial . They don’t give a shit about women or their babies only money ,money money .
Wow, it’s like you hit every square in pro-life bullshit bingo with one post.
Get we’ll soon!
Pro-life logic is an oxymoron.
Mr. Hesketh reveals the extremism and irrationality of the pro-life position.
Embarrassing post there Anthony you don’t do a lot for your cause in truth.
Thanks Rob . I can’t see Kerry and Peter saying much to argue against my position . Abortion is the barbaric destruction of the developing child and I can’t see how any reasonable person can justify it in the name of progress .
Great post Anthony. A1.
Can anybody explain why the “expert group” appointed by our Government did not recommend (as one of its recommendations) that the X Case be reviewed by the Supreme Court as a precondition to the introduction of any legislation? It has been stated that the Judge in the X Case made an error of judgment which in the view of some is unconstitutional as he had no “proper”Competent Expert Witnesses on which to base his judgment! I am no expert but I feel that all points of view should be reviewed to ensure a correct decision is made by Government. The European Court of Justice did not direct the Irish Government to introduce legislation for abortion. It directed that Ireland should clarify its legislation- which is not the same thing. Clarification is needed by Government.
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