Campaigner accuses Reilly of restricting expert group’s options

A leading anti-abortion campaigner has accused Health Minister James Reilly of restricting the options open to an expert group on introducing legislation governing abortion.

Prof William Binchy, a retired law lecturer, said legal issues were raised over how the expert group was tasked with making recommendations to implement a Supreme Court ruling allowing for abortion in the case of a suicide risk to the mother.

However, he claimed Dr Reilly had briefed the group to advise the Government on how to deal with a recent European Court of Human Rights ruling regarding Ireland’s abortion legislation.