Date fixed for case on fate of frozen embryos

A landmark legal action to decide the fate of three frozen embryos will be heard by the High Court on June 29th, following applications…

A landmark legal action to decide the fate of three frozen embryos will be heard by the High Court on June 29th, following applications by counsel yesterday.

The case had been fixed for hearing on April 25th but, because of difficulties in relation to the availability of State counsel on that day, Mr Justice Frank Clarke has fixed June 29th as the new hearing date.

Gerard Hogan SC, for the 38-year-old woman plaintiff, who is seeking orders aimed at having the embryos thawed and implanted in her uterus, said they were anxious to have the matter determined.

The case relates to three embryos produced during IVF treatment undertaken by a married couple in the Sims clinic in Dublin some years ago. Six embyros were produced of which three were implanted and a daughter was born as a result three years ago. The remaining three were frozen.

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The marriage has since ended and the husband has refused to give his consent for the embryos to be implanted in the woman. The clinic has refused to release the embryos.

Mary Carolan

Mary Carolan

Mary Carolan is the Legal Affairs Correspondent of the Irish Times