Executive Summary The purpose of this policy paper is to address the egregious violation of rights that Ireland has submitted it’s citizens to by outlawing abortion procedures. This proposal calls primarily for a decriminalization of abortion and for the government to examine the religiosity of both Ireland’s political administration and the cultural view of abortion. The 2013 Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act fails to protect the maternal health of woman and is failing due to the vagueness in language and inconsistency in implementation. That being said, the source of the problem lies in the Eight Amendment of the Bunreacht na hÉireann, the Irish Constitution, that defends that a fetus is an effective Irish citizen at the time of …show more content…
Women can experience serious, life threatening, and sometimes fatal complications during a pregnancy. The United Nations affirms that denying access to abortion legally qualifies as torture as a dangerous pregnancy constitutes as an act by of severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental (Convention Against Torture). Protection against this type of reproductive right violation is guaranteed by the The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, specifically Article 16.1; The Right to Decide the Number and Spacing of Children (CEDAW). In December of 1985 Ireland acceded the Convention. Although Ireland did not ratify CEDAW and the document is not legally binding, adhering to these human rights norms is an expectation that is on place on all the UN Member States. By criminalizing abortion Ireland violates these basic human rights and infringes on a women’s right to reproductive freedom
2. Origin/History of the Problem and Current Context
The Republic of Ireland has been view in the international community as a “morally conservative country” (Bloomer 368). Contraception only became available in 1973 and divorce was prohibited until 1997. In 1983 the Eight Amendment to the Irish Constitution (Article 40.3.3) equated the life of an unborn child to that of it’s mothers and thus abortion was prohibited. Recently in 2013, the Irish government sought to try and appease critiques of their strict abortion ban when the government passed
Abortion’s legalization through Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade, has allowed for one in three pregnancies to end in abortion. This means that 1.5 million abortions are performed in the United States each year (Flanders 3). It ranks among the most complex and controversial issues, arousing heated legal, political, and ethical debates. The modern debate over abortion is a conflict of competing moral ideas and of fundamental human rights: to life, to privacy, to control over one's own body. Trying to come to a compromise has proven that it one cannot please all of the people on each side of the debate.
Abortion is the process of intentionally ending a pregnancy. Abortion touches the hearts of many because its consequences result in the loss of a human life. Its controversy stems from the fact that people’s opinions on this matter are rooted in their value systems, religious beliefs, and political socialization. Its prominence in political discussions today is likely to continue given the relationship between unwanted pregnancies and overpopulation. There is often debate about the constitutionality of abortion, as it is not specifically addressed by any doctrine. As a result, there has never been an explicit national law enacted.
One of the first moral issues addressed by both sides of the abortion debate concerns a pregnant woman’s so-called natural “right” to make “reproductive choices.” (“The Rights of Pregnant Women”) Anti-abortion advocacy groups claim that “the only way to actually protect the mother’s rights will be by enforcing laws that secure her child’s right to life,” (“Argument 2”) whereas pro-abortion groups contend that these laws “create a dangerous precedent for wide-ranging government intrusion into the lives of all women.” (“The Rights”) With two fundamentally contrasting viewpoints at odds with each other, it is apparent that one of the core issues concurrent with abortion is a woman’s rights versus the rights of her unborn fetus.
Abortion really today has been a very controversial issue in today’s society. An interesting claim within it is that abortion can be done safely through the use of medical abortion and although medical abortions can be safe and trustworthy as experts might say, there still are risks that women will have to face and eventually take after abortion. Major types of risks can be pelvic infections, blood clots in the uterus or maybe a torn cervix. These are just few out of many health problems caused from abortion.
As a catholic-born child, I was brought up with very strict rules laid out before me that would help me with choices such as the holy sacrament of confirmation and marriage to the very controversial choice of abortion. Since I’ve been Catholic all of my life, I am a firm believer in the pro-life choice, which is advocating full legal protection of embryos and fetuses along with high opposition to the legalization of induced abortions. A baby is a baby is a baby. Whether it is an embryo, fetus, or almost a full term baby, it is still considered life. That is how I like to view this topic. This semester I plan to research why abortion is morally wrong
With recent developments in Northern Irish legislation for ‘on demand abortions’, the debate between pro-life and pro-choice has been thrown back into the media and the morality of abortion scrutinized under the eye of third wave feminism, which has reclaimed the 1970’s slogan of ‘The Right to Choose’. The following essay intends to discuss how abortion is always an option and never a morally wrong act, as it is the mother’s choice to do with her body what she wishes and such the fetus has no right to leech off the mother when the host is not willing. In this discussion one shall, as Thomson did in ‘A Defence of Abortion’(1971), accept the stance that a fetus is a person from conception, to avoid that issue all together.
Abortion: “the removal of an embryo or fetus from the uterus in order to end a pregnancy.” Is abortion murder? Do you believe in a women’s right to chose? This topic has been an argument since 1500 BCE. What do you think or feel is the right decision regarding abortion? There are many arguments that are pro-abortion and there are also many that oppose abortion. “If women become pregnant, they should accept the responsibility that comes with producing a child” (ethics - Abortion: Responsibility of the Mother.” BBC, BBC,), abortion should be illegal.
The restrictions and the debate that surrounds the issue of abortion has changed dramatically throughout the course of history and it continues to change until this very moment. All around the world and in every known society, women have used abortion to control their reproduction, regardless of it’s legality. Abortion used to be exercised freely in the United Sates, up Until all the states started to ban It and place a lot of restrictions on it. They stated that a woman can not abort except in extreme cases in which the mother’s life might be in danger. After the restrictions caused a lot of health issues and raised concerns on women’s health, The Government abolished all the restrictions. In this paper I will analyze and discuss three main positions on the issue of abortion. First, there are those who associate themselves with the title “pro-life”. These individuals are anti abortion, birth control, embryo research or anything that can control or cause any harm to the fetus. Second, there are those who at the other end of the spectrum who firmly believe that if a woman decides to abort, then it is her constitutional right to do so without any interference from the government. Third, are those who believe that if a woman is raped or her life is in danger, then abortion should be completely and solely up to the woman, but other than that, abortion should be illegal. This group of individuals are also for birth control and do not oppose educating
The right of a women to control her reproductive decision is highly debated in the US because of the idea that abortions, to some people, are considered murder. A woman’s ability to make reproductive choices is a fundamental right protected by the
Abortion as we all know, is a controversial topic that has been known to debate on whether it should be legal or illegal. Abortion is the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often performed during the first 28 weeks of pregnancy. This particular issue goes way back and even though it is legal now in some places it is still being debated on. Those individuals who are taking sides are either on the pro-choice side or pro-life. Pro-choice being that you agree with a women’s life to have an abortion and pro-life that your against this belief. Now, this paper will briefly go over the overall definition of abortion and how it began, then explain how it was debated and legalized in some states, and finally why it is still debated and why there is no common ground. We always seem hear both sides on abortion whether it’s being against or for it both sides intentions are overlooked.
The argument whether abortion should be legal or not has been raging for years. In America where democracy rules and the right to freedom of choice are set at a high priority among citizens, it’s not hard to see pro-choice and pro-life ideals going head on. In this paper I will explain some of the major reasons woman have abortions, as well as how if we are truly a democratic society and we do have freedom, then pro-choice and legalizing abortion is the answer. I will also talk about ethical issues, and how the effect of legalized abortions has affected other countries, as opposed to countries where abortions are illegal.
Abortion has been a controversial issue historically and even now in the 21st century, it remains a disputable topic. According to NHS (2014) Abortion, abortion can be defined as “the medical process of ending a pregnancy so it does not result in the birth of a baby”. There are many controversies over morality in relation to abortion. Each country has different abortion policies (some forbid abortion by law), and the extent to which abortion is allowed is different. This essay will identify the UK’s legal position on abortion, international attitudes towards abortion, controversies regarding abortion and the flaws of the UK Abortion Act.
Abortion is a debatable question that has been argued over a long period of time. The controversy of abortion has caused or may cause deaths and several violent conflicts between, should abortion be legal or illegal. Abortion is one of the most common medical procedures performed worldwide also known as elective termination of pregnancy (History,2016). Abortion is the destruction of the fetus or unborn child while the child is still in the mother’s womb. This procedure can be done almost anyone from the mother herself to back alley, most common, abortion clinics. More than 40% of all women will end a pregnancy by abortion and remains common in the US. But the questions is should abortion be legal or illegal?
Abortion is a deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often performed the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. There are series of legal, moral and ethical issues which may arise about abortion. Most arguments about abortion are often focused on political insinuations and the legal aspect of such actions. Some frequently asked questions’ regarding the issue is if the practice should be outlawed and regarded as murder or should women have the right to practice it. For example, prior to becoming pregnant, some women feel that they would be able to choose the abortion option without trouble. However, even with reasons why having an abortion would be the best option, some women feel that this decision would not be right for them. On the other hand, some women have a strong belief that abortion is unethical prior to becoming pregnant.
This trend, which is occurring in developing and as well as developed countries, has continued to the present, as abortion laws have been relaxed in five more countries within the past four years- Greece, Portugal, Spain, Taiwan and Turkey. During the same period, women's access to legal abortion has been significantly reduced only in Romania (in 1984). That nation's population policy also restricts the availability of modern contraceptive methods and authorizes the investigation of all women who experience miscarriages. In addition, the Irish constitution was amended in 1985 to prevent any future liberalization of its highly restrictive abortion law.