Ireland prepares to vote to change the 8th amendment which effectively makes abortion illegal in Ireland.
Here’s a summary:
…On 25 May, Ireland has a historic opportunity to change the country’s abortion law. Voters will be asked if they want to repeal the eighth amendment, and allow the government to legislate on terminations.
If Ireland votes Yes, the existing article of the constitution which was inserted in 1983 – and the 1992 additions – will be replaced with this text:
“Provision may be made by law for the regulation of termination of pregnancy.”
For its part, the government is proposing that it would legislate to permit abortion in cases where there is a risk to the life of the woman, a medical emergency or a fatal foetal abnormality, or up to 12 weeks without justification…
This vote looks to be close with Yes slightly ahead
I can’t believe anyone is really undecided on such a hot button issue such as abortion. But, if undecideds decide that no change is preferable then this vote could be close and NO could win. I’m hoping that there are a lot of undecideds who are shy YES voters and that Ireland can finally start to be rid of their strict abortion laws.
It is an obscene bit of legislation, distraught women having to take themselves off to another country to get the services they need, all the while being in fear of prosecution.
It seems almost unbelievable that a modern, first-world democracy can still have such a law on its books but hopefully for the women of Ireland that’ll all change after Friday.
Not to defend the legislation but, actually, they are not in any fear of prosecution. It is entirely lawful in Ireland to travel to another country for the purpose of having an abortion. Indeed, there is a constitutional right to do so.
Point taken. If they sought to take abortion medication in Ireland that would be illegal but if they do it elsewhere and come back to Ireland it isn’t.
I stand by my condemnation of the legislation but I’ll accept that it is merely medieval rather than Orwellian.
It’s legal with limitations in all European countries, so far as I know, including Ireland. The differences relate to the scope and nature of the limitations. I don’t think there’s any European country in which there are no legal limitations at all on abortion, nor any in which abortions are illegal in all circumstances.
Not so. Abortion is legal if there is a “real and substantial risk” of loss of life if the abortion is not performed. There are prescribed procedures for determining whether such a risk exists. Small numbers of abortions are carried out in Ireland each year under the provisions of the relevant legislation.
It’s not that they won’t prosecute. They can’t prosecute; no law is broken. That’s pretty much the definition of “legal”.
Yes. Under the prescribed procedures that’s a medical assessment, not a legal one.
Just to be clear, I’m not defending this law; I think it’s appalling. If I had a vote in the referendum I would vote to change the current situation. But in the interests of fighting ignorance I’m pointing out that it’s not true to say that abortion is illegal in Ireland in all circumstances with no exceptions. There are circumstances in which it is legal, and small numbers of abortions are actually carried out in those circumstances.
Two days left to go before I get to vote in this referendum. I think this one is going to be a lot closer than the same-sex-marriage referendum in 2015. I wouldn’t even be all that surprised if the repeal effort fails.
Well, that’s like asking whether smoking cannabis in Amsterdam is legal in Ireland. Does the question even have any meaning? It’s certainly not illegal in Ireland. Nobody who goes to Amsterdam to broaden their mind culturally and chemically is prosecuted in Ireland for doing so, and this isn’t because of any forbearance on the part of the Irish authorities; it’s because its perfectly legal in Ireland to travel to Amsterdam to do things that you can’t do in Ireland. And the same goes for travelling to obtain an abortion. It’s not illegal in Ireland in any sense of the phrase “illegal in Ireland”.
It is legal to travel. It is legal for doctors to give you contact details for clinics/hospitals in the UK.
I know this because this is all too real for me to talk about it without becoming so emotional as to have no value in a sensible conversation. We had a fatal diagnosis at the 20 week scan two years ago and had to travel. The process and experience was one that has left me filled with almost uncontrollable rage at my country for having let me and my wife down so badly. It made the worse time of our lives so much harder and painful.
Without derailing the thread, isn’t this phenomenon kind of like SSM or Brexit or the Scottish independence movement, in the sense that you can run an unlimited number of referendums until you get the “Yes” vote you want, but all a “No” vote merely postpones the status quo until the next referendum, and hence the momentum and power always lies on the “yes” side, since 99 “noes” don’t mean much but all is needed is one “yes?”