Irish Lawmakers backed Bill Legalizing Abortion in Life-Threatening Cases

Irish Lawmakers on 2 July 2013 voted to support the proposed law to allow abortion to the women in life threatening cases. The Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill of Ireland won 138 to 24 votes in favour and cleared decade’s long confusion over right of women to undergo abortions in extreme circumstances.

The bill will now come up for final passage next week.

As per the 1986 Constitutional ban in Ireland on abortion commits the Government to defend the life of the unborn and mother equally. But the law has been mixed-up since 1992 after the Supreme Court of Ireland ruled that the ban only meant that terminations should be legal if doctors deem one essential to safeguard the life of the woman – including, most controversially, from her own suicide threats.

Before the government of Prime Minister Enda Kenny, six governments refused to pass any such law supporting the recommendation of the Supreme Court Judgment by citing it as suicide-threat rule as open to abuse. The Pregnant women from Ireland during medical or psychological crises went down to England, where the practice has been legal, since 1967.

The debate-on nation’s anti-abortion laws came into light after the death of the 31-year old Savita Halappanavar from India, who died from septicaemia following a miscarriage in October 2013.

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Irish Lawmakers backed Bill Legalizing Abortion in Life-Threatening Cases

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