Divided reaction to ruling on rights of the unborn

Reaction to the Supreme Court ruling on the rights of the unborn was swift and divided. Pro-choice advocates welcomed it, while anti-abortion campaigners said it was rushed and that it exposed Government “hostility” to the unborn child.

The National Women’s Council of Ireland, the Abortion Rights Campaign, and the Coalition to Repeal the Eighth Amendment jointly welcomed the ruling, saying it provided the certainty to proceed with a referendum.

Linda Kavanagh, of the Abortion Rights Campaign, said: “Nothing now stands in the way of this referendum, as promised by the Government.”