Abortion and the law

Sir, – Further to "Catholic bishops 'shocked and disturbed' by abortion ruling" (December 1st), why do the thoughts of the members of a group that will never be personally affected by any maternity health services, north or south of the Border, warrant reporting and attention?

The bishops already have platforms from which to preach their interpretation of a holy book and how it relates to civil and criminal legislation pertaining to women’s bodies.

Social discourse on this already contentious issue would be much better served by the reporting of the reactions by those women – their support networks and medical practitioners, as well as legislators and policymakers – whose lives and livelihoods stand to be impacted by the recent legal ruling, to the exclusion of all others. – Yours, etc,

AINE SPERRIN,

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Galway.

Sir, – In relation to the recent controversial ruling by the High Court in Belfast on abortion, I must point out that if giving one person’s right to privacy precedence over another’s right to life isn’t a miscarriage of justice, I don’t know what is.

Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.” The right to life is the most important human right because without it all other rights, such as the right to privacy, are meaningless. – Yours, etc,

JUNE TWOMEY,

Kilrush,

Co Clare.

Sir, – As an atheist, feminist and Irish woman, I take exception to Sinead Ahern and Senator Ivana Bacik’s description of the Eighth Amendment as having “portrayed women as vessels“ (“Repeal the Eighth Amendment for the sake of our daughters”, Opinion & Analysis, November 25th). If one believes that the unborn life is one to value, then the Eighth Amendment simply recognises and protects both lives.

Irish society has for decades protected the unborn baby, irrespective of whether that baby is female, unwanted or has a disability. That is something to celebrate, not destroy.

As for the chilling effect on doctors, the lack of medical guidelines has been a failure of the medical profession and politicians. Protection of life during pregnancy legislation has now put some structure and guidance around what to do when a woman’s life is at risk.

Terminations of pregnancies take place in Ireland every year to protect the life of the mother, and that is as it should be.

Not one obstetrician in Ireland seeks to place the life of the unborn before a mother’s life, and waits until a woman is near death to intervene. To suggest otherwise is highly disingenuous.

I agree with Dr Sam Coulter Smith, master of the Rotunda Hospital, that we lost an opportunity to address fatal foetal anomaly in the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill. It is strange that this Government did not move to address this situation, given that many believe there is room in the Eighth Amendment to do so.

As Christopher Hitchens pointed out: “In order to terminate a pregnancy, you have to still a heartbeat, switch off a developing brain, and, whatever the method, break some bones and rupture some organs.” It is a reality that we need to discuss in an honest and open manner. – Yours, etc,

RÓISÍN LAWLESS,

Ráth Cairn,

Co na Mí.