The case of a clinically dead, pregnant woman who was kept on life support because of uncertainty over the constitutional rights of her unborn child received significant international media attention.
The New York Times told its readers the "much-debated" Eight
Amendment to the Constitution provides equal protection for the mother and the fetus. “However, the president of the High Court, Justice Nicholas Kearns, said in an earlier hearing that it was debatable whether it was applicable in this instance because it did not appear to be “an abortion case at all’.”
The Wall Street Journal referred to Catholicism in its opening paragraph, saying "A three-judge High Court in Ireland ruled on Friday that removing a clinically brain-dead pregnant woman from life support wouldn't violate the Catholic country's constitutional ban on abortion".
The Huffington Post wrote of "Catholic influenced laws", saying, "doctors refused [to turn off life support], fearing they might be prosecuted under Ireland's strict Catholic-influenced abortion laws, which give the 18-week-old foetus the same Constitutional rights as the mother."
The UK Independent described the High Court's decision as a "landmark ruling". The paper's reporter said the pregnant woman's "family had sought to switch the equipment off, but doctors refused over fears they might be prosecuted under Ireland's strict restrictive abortion laws, which give the 18-week-old foetus the same constitutional rights as the mother".
The Guardian said the High Court's decision had lead to calls for more clarity on medical guidelines on abortion. It's reporter quoted a HSE spokesperson as saying the Constitution was not designed to cope with cases where a brain-dead woman was kept alive because she was pregnant. The person reportedly said there would have to be "a degree of clarity" brought to medical guidelines about such cases.