Hard cases will not justify the repeal of the eighth amendment

There are tens of thousands of people alive today in Ireland because of the 8th Amendment to the constitution which gives constitutional protection to unborn babies.

Ireland’s outstanding record in safeguarding the lives of pregnant women while also prohibiting abortion contradicts pro-choice claims that abortion is needed to save women’s lives.

The case for repeal of the 8th Amendment is being made in cases where a woman is raped or the unborn baby has a fatal foetal abnormality. Regarding rape, in the recent high profile “C” case it emerged afterwards that the young woman at the centre of this case who had an abortion in England deeply regretted going through with it. Ryan Bomberger is a well known human rights campaigner in the US. He was born following rape and publicly thanked his birth mum for giving him life.