Campaigners clash over court’s life-support ruling

Pro-life advocates have described as "crass and unseemly" attempts to repeal the constitutional ban on abortion in light of the heartache generated by the case of a pregnant woman on life support.

However, yesterday’s High Court ruling was welcomed by Action for Choice, which said ending life support was the only humane thing to do. Calling for a referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution, the organisation said Article 40.3.3 has resulted in some of the most barbaric attacks against women’s rights in Ireland.

The decision was welcomed by the HSE, while Health Minister Leo Varadkar offered his sympathy to the woman’s family and partner.

Ruth Cullen of the Pro Life Campaign said: “While it is very difficult for the families concerned that cases like this sometimes end up in court, the fact is that it is a sign of a healthy democracy that life and death issues are taken seriously and appropriately determined.

“There is nothing unique to Ireland about this case, as some would try to suggest.”

Dr Frances Colreavy, an intensive care specialist, told the court that, having practised medicine for decades in Ireland and Australia, she had never witnessed a clinically dead person being kept on life support for so long.

“It is crass and unseemly the way some people are using this sad case to push for repeal of the Eighth Amendment,” said Dr Cullen.

HSE director of communications, Paul Connors said the ruling brought a degree of clarity to the situation.