Scrap our abortion laws, says ex-judge

If the Government had "any courage", it would hold a referendum on removing the country’s abortion laws, a retired Supreme Court judge has claimed.

Reacting to the controversy concerning an immigrant teenager who was refused an abortion here despite being raped and certified suicidal, former Supreme Court Judge Catherine McGuinness said the Government should hold a referendum on removing the eighth amendment to the Constitution before the next election.

However, she said there was no political appetite for such a referendum, particularly within Fine Gael.