Abortions

Ireland’s Abortion ban is being questioned again as doctors keep a brain dead woman alive on life support in Dublin as they are legally bound to protect the life of her 16-week-old foetus, despite requests from relatives to switch off the life support. 

 

The woman in her 20’s was left brain dead after suffering a blood clot. The law in Ireland gives the unborn baby’s and the mother’s life equal status therefore legally forbidding doctors from carrying out the requests of the family to turn off the life support as its consequence would be carrying out an illegal Abortion, as a foetus is unable to survive outside of the womb before 24 weeks. The case in now in the hands of the court.

 

Every year, 4000 woman from Ireland travel to the UK for an Abortion, due to its “illegality” in their home country. Dr. Adam McAuley, expert on Irish medical law expects the court to rule that the woman must be kept alive until the fetus can be delivered.

"The law isn't clear, and when there is conflict, the matter will have to come before the court," the Law Lecturer said.

 

Health Minister Leo Varadkar says that the law is unreasonable, criticizing it for being restrictive and cruel. Every day, more legislators are saying that Ireland should legalize Abortions in certain cases; long-term health risks to the woman, cases involving rape, and fetal abnormalities. However, last week, lawmakers rejected an opposition motion to legalize Abortion outright.

 

Varadkar said that that theses difficult decisions should be made by couples, or the woman herself along with their doctors, or a next-of-kin where there is no capacity to achieve best clinical practice, not based on legal advice. He said, “This isn’t how it should be.”

 

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