My message for the upcoming Irish referendum: How to #replacethe8th
Tomorrow, the Republic of Ireland goes to the polls for a historic referendum on repealing the (in)famous 8th amendment to the Constitution of Ireland, which states:
The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right of life of the mother, guarantees its laws to respect and, as far as practicable, by its laws to vindicate and defend that right.
This poll has garnered international attention due to the subject matter, and many thousands of Irish people living in the United Kingdom are coming home to Ireland to vote in the referendum.
Despite being a pro-life Catholic, I will say here that the 8th amendment needs to be repealed, and replaced, for three reasons. Firstly, it is not practicable given how so many women wanting abortions travel abroad to where abortion is legal anyway, mainly the United Kingdom, and in light of the recent case of a young mother who, despite being declared brain dead, was not initially allowed to undergo a termination even though there was no possibility of the unborn child surviving: .https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/clinically-dead-pregnant-woman-being-kept-alive-by-hospital-30845660.html
Secondly, whilst protecting both born and unborn life is important, the amendment does not, as it currently stands, strike a fair and reasonable balance between the need to protect an unborn child and the health and well-being of the mother. One mother who could not undergo cancer treatment whilst pregnant died as she could not terminate the pregnancy even when it had fatal consequences for her; her child sadly died at birth in the end. It is also completely unfair and unethical to prevent an abortion of a child that has either already died in utero or will not survive either pregnancy or birth (e.g. in cases of anencephaly), and is therefore unviable.
Thirdly, no one should be forced to have a child against their wishes-abortion should be allowed in cases of rape and incest.
"As far as practicable" are they key words of this amendment that need to be remembered here. Whilst unborn children should be protected if they will live (also contraception is widely available and affordable to all in Ireland), such protection must be on a fair and practicable basis.
How should it be replaced in such a way that unborn life can still be protected?
The solution is to carry over the principle into a more practicable law which would only allow abortions in circumstances where it is necessary and ethical. These are: to protect the life of the mother, to protect the long-term health of the mother, in cases of rape or incest, and where the foetus has no realistic possibility of being born alive. In all such cases the 24th week of pregnancy should be the upper limit for abortions, as any baby born after the 24th week of pregnancy will have a high chance of survival in this modern world of ours even if born considerably prematurely.
The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right of life of the mother, guarantees its laws to respect and, as far as practicable, by its laws to vindicate and defend that right.
This poll has garnered international attention due to the subject matter, and many thousands of Irish people living in the United Kingdom are coming home to Ireland to vote in the referendum.
Despite being a pro-life Catholic, I will say here that the 8th amendment needs to be repealed, and replaced, for three reasons. Firstly, it is not practicable given how so many women wanting abortions travel abroad to where abortion is legal anyway, mainly the United Kingdom, and in light of the recent case of a young mother who, despite being declared brain dead, was not initially allowed to undergo a termination even though there was no possibility of the unborn child surviving: .https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/clinically-dead-pregnant-woman-being-kept-alive-by-hospital-30845660.html
Secondly, whilst protecting both born and unborn life is important, the amendment does not, as it currently stands, strike a fair and reasonable balance between the need to protect an unborn child and the health and well-being of the mother. One mother who could not undergo cancer treatment whilst pregnant died as she could not terminate the pregnancy even when it had fatal consequences for her; her child sadly died at birth in the end. It is also completely unfair and unethical to prevent an abortion of a child that has either already died in utero or will not survive either pregnancy or birth (e.g. in cases of anencephaly), and is therefore unviable.
Thirdly, no one should be forced to have a child against their wishes-abortion should be allowed in cases of rape and incest.
"As far as practicable" are they key words of this amendment that need to be remembered here. Whilst unborn children should be protected if they will live (also contraception is widely available and affordable to all in Ireland), such protection must be on a fair and practicable basis.
How should it be replaced in such a way that unborn life can still be protected?
The solution is to carry over the principle into a more practicable law which would only allow abortions in circumstances where it is necessary and ethical. These are: to protect the life of the mother, to protect the long-term health of the mother, in cases of rape or incest, and where the foetus has no realistic possibility of being born alive. In all such cases the 24th week of pregnancy should be the upper limit for abortions, as any baby born after the 24th week of pregnancy will have a high chance of survival in this modern world of ours even if born considerably prematurely.
The Green party supports the choice of pregnant persons. While abortion is not available in ireland they need to access it here in England.
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