Tag Archives: X Case

march

The Government will have legislated for the X case.

According to RTÉ, this rough date has been relayed by the Irish Government to the Council of Europe’s committee of ministers. The committee oversees how EU states comply with judgments set down by the European Court of Human Rights.

The move follows the A,B,C vs Ireland case at the ECHR.

Government to enact X case legislation by end of July, RTÉ

(Pic: Oona Tully)

(Above: Seana Stafford and her 13-week-old son James and Stephanie McNamee outside the Dail during a Pro Life Campaign vigil last night)

Minister for Health James Reilly last night emphasised that “legislation supported by regulations will inform us to ensure that suicide will not be abused as it is perceived to be in other jurisdictions”.

Up to 20 Fine Gael TDs have raised doubts in recent months about the inclusion in any legislation of the threat of suicide as a ground for abortion. They include minister of state Lucinda Creighton; John O’Mahony; James Bannon; John Paul Phelan; Regina Doherty and Patrick O’Donovan.

Concerns of Fine Gael TDs were fanned by the Labour Party issuing six press statements from its TDs following the Government announcement, one of which claimed it represented a “victory” for the party. Fine Gael issued no statement.

Dr Reilly dismissed the contention that it was a victory for Labour, asserting there had been consensus around the Cabinet table. “What we are looking for is a victory for the women of Ireland,” he said.

Indeed.

Archbishops urge free vote on abortion as Kenny moves to reassure FG TDs (Stephen Collins, Patsy McGarry, Harry McGee, Kitty Holland, Irish Times)

(Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland)

(Above: Justine Murphy and Katherine Foyle perform re-worded C Case Carols outside the GPO in Dublin on Sunday)

The Cabinet will announce today that a combination of legislation and regulations will be required to comply with the Supreme Court decision on abortion in the X case.

The decision to follow this route – the fourth option from the expert group on abortion – will result in a legislative framework that will adhere to the key 1992 ruling, a senior source confirmed yesterday.

This is expected to allow the fear of suicide as a ground for abortion but may not provide for rape or sexual abuse, neither of which formed part of the X-case ruling. On foot of the decision, the Government is also expected to repeal provisions in the Offences against the State Act 1861, which criminalises abortion.

State to use mix of law, guidelines to deal with X case (Harry McGee, Deaglán de Breadún, Irish Times)

(Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland)

Labour will this week press for an early Cabinet commitment to legislate for limited abortion amid party concerns about Minister for Health James Reilly’s ability to implement a new legal framework.

The expert group on abortion’s report will be brought to Cabinet tomorrow. It says legislation consistent with the Supreme Court ruling on the X case is required and this should be followed by ministerial regulations.

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin yesterday said the Government would act “speedily” and insisted the Coalition would not be the seventh administration to fail to act on the 1992 judgment.

Oh?

An early statement of intent by Cabinet this week would provide cover for Labour backbenchers who will come under pressure to vote for former Socialist TD Clare Daly’s revamped abortion Bill on Wednesday night.

Ah.

Carry on.

Labour To Seek Assurance On Limited Abortion (Mary Minihan, Irish Times)

(Laura Hutton/ Photocall Ireland)

Dublin, 1992.

Khaki trousers with Doc Marten shoes.

Oona Tully writes:

I found these negatives in a pile of college notes last week and scanned them. Given the current re-visit to the abortion legislation in Ireland, I thought you might be interested to see that protests on the streets have been going on for some time. This one, in O’Connell Street in 1992, was against the ban on the provision of information on abortion services outside the State; it was in reaction to the X-case, plus it was in defiance of the Eighth Amendment of The Constitution.

The Thirteenth Amendment and the  Fourteenth Amendment (both in 1992), most likely reacted to the X-case and not this protest. The amendments changed the information ban, by guaranteeing a pregnant woman’s right to freedom of travel and to information about abortion services available abroad respectively.
A case, not a protest it seems,  will prompt the legislators.

Right. here we go again…

Labour Party deputies will be expected to vote against a Bill in the Dáil today which seeks to legislate for the “X-case” abortion ruling, despite expressing support for such a move at last week’s party conference.

Following a 1992 Supreme Court ruling – known as the X-case – abortion has been legal in circumstances where there is a substantial risk to the life of the mother.
However, successive governments have not enacted legislation to give full effect to the ruling.

A Private Members’ Bill put forward by Socialist Party TD Clare Daly, along with People Before Profit TD Joan Collins and Independent TD Mick Wallace, seeks to create a legal framework for abortion in Ireland where a woman’s life is at risk.

TDs To Vote Against Bill Despite Party’s Calls For Legislation (Irish Times)

(Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland)