Respect the human rights of unborn

The UN Human Rights Committee’s criticism of Ireland’s abortion law is ideologically contaminated reinterpretation of solemn treaty obligations to "provide appropriate legal protection before as well as after birth’ to every child "without exception".

True justice requires that elective abortions be recognised and treated not as idiosyncratic, personal ‘choices’ but as abusive practices, as human rights violations perpetrated by individuals and involving the complicity of politicians, judges and others.

Right from the first drafting of the international human rights instruments, the legal language of human rights included repeatedly and consistently the terms ‘unborn children’ and ‘the child before as well as after birth’.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has “recognised” that every child is entitled to “legal protection before as well as after birth”.

Neither domestic governments nor judiciaries have any authority to withdraw human rights protection from any “members of the human family”.

To be eligible for membership of the human family, one has only to be human.

Rita Joseph

47 Mackenzie St

Canberra

Australia