Abortion and Constitutional Rights in Ireland Since 2018
Assessing the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11117/rdp.v21i112.7330Abstract
This article examines Ireland’s current abortion legislation from the perspective of Irish constitutional law. First, it explores constitutional difficulties located both in the Act’s text and in established interpretations of its provisions. Second, it describes the constitutional rights that apply to abortion in the post-2018 constitutional order; particularly, abortion-seekers’ rights to bodily integrity, freedom from degrading treatment, privacy and equality. It argues that in certain cases, the combined effects of legislative time limits and criminal sanctions jeopardise constitutional rights. Third, it applies this analysis to four specific issues: (i) fatal foetal anomaly, (ii) sexual violence, (iii) risk to health, and (iv) abortion in early pregnancy. Finally, it considers recent recommendations for legislative change, evaluating whether these are sufficient to vindicate abortion-seekers’ constitutional rights.
KEYWORDS: Ireland; abortion; constitutional law; reproductive rights; law reform.
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