Laws may not prevent another Savita

Planned changes to Ireland’s abortion laws do not go far enough to prevent another Savita Halappanavar tragedy, the chair of the HSE report into her death has warned.

Prof Sabaratnam Arulkumaran made the claim after the publication of the HSE clinical review into the 31-year-old’s death and on the same day as the Government’s Protection of Human Life in Pregnancy Bill 2013 was revealed.

Contradicting Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore, who yesterday said the bill removes any doubt for medics on when an abortion is allowed, the doctor said a legal limbo still remains when it comes to complex obstetric emergencies.