The Irish parliament will begin hearings in January on legalization of abortion, and the Irish government promises to have a bill before the Dáil Éireann by Easter. The new law will permit abortion in order to save the life of a mother, including those who threaten to commit suicide if they are denied the procedure [Global News]. In response to the announcement, and reports that Prime Minister Enda Kenny might force objecting members of his party to vote for the bill, Ireland’s four Catholic archbishops have protested the proposed changes, and insisted that the government must respect lawmakers’ freedom of conscience.
Category: News
Ireland announces abortion law reforms, leaving no one satisfied
18 December, 2012
The new legislation is meant to clarify Ireland’s stance on abortion when the mother’s health is at risk, but antiabortion groups say it goes too far, and abortion-rights groups not far enough.
Ireland took a step today toward loosening its strict antiabortion regime, as the government announced legislation to legalize abortion in limited circumstances. But a battle lies ahead, as both abortion-rights and antiabortion groups appear dissatisfied with the government’s new prescription. . . [Christian Science Monitor]
Reproductive Health bill passes Philippines congress
The Philippines Senate and House of Representatives have passed a Reproductive Health Bill by signficant margins. Bills of this kind have been proposed repeatedly over the past 13 years and have always been highly controversial because of oppostiion from those opposed to contraception and other contentious aspects of the bills. However, it is unclear exactly what the new law will say, as the houses passed it in two different versions, and will have to compile an agreed-upon text before it can be signed into law by the president. [Modern Medicine]
Philippines medical groups urge passage of controversial bill
23 health care professional organizations representing over a quarter of a million health care workers, including the Philippine Medical Association, held a press conference at the Philippine General Hospital urging the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill. [Philippines Inquirer] The bill is strongly opposed by those opposed to provisions in the bill that require the dissemination of contraceptives.
Uruguayan doctors say abortion norms fail to respect conscience rights
Nearly one hundred doctors in Uruguay filed a lawsuit on Dec. 7, arguing that the country’s new abortion norms to not allow for conscientious objection.
According to the newspaper El Observador, the doctors state that because they are directly responsible for implementing and administering the regulations, they feel obliged to denounce “several grave illegalities” they contain.