http___www.rights.ie_anailis-dhlithiuil__1.xml
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STATEMENT In Article 40.3.3° of the Constitution of Ireland (“the Eighth Amendment”) the State “acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right.” The Eighth Amendment respects the right to life of mothers. As its wording makes clear, it protects the right to life of the unborn only to the extent that such protection is consistent with the right to life of the mother. In the recent case of M –v- Minister for Justice and Equality, the Supreme Court has held that the rights of the unborn under the Constitution are limited to those rights which are acknowledged in the Eighth Amendment. Accordingly, the repeal of the Eighth Amendment would entail the removal from the Constitution of the existing acknowledgment of the right to life of the unborn and the removal of constitutional protection for the unborn boy or girl in the womb. If the Eighth Amendment is repealed, the Government has signalled its intention to place legislation before the Oireachtas. The proposed legislation would allow the life of the unborn to be ended for any reason up until twelve weeks, and far beyond that on grounds which have led to abortion on demand in other jurisdictions. In addition, such limitations on abortion as may be set in the legislation could be removed at any time without the consent of the People. It is clear, therefore, that what is being proposed is not simply abortion in exceptional cases but a wide-ranging right to abortion. Each person was, by definition, once unborn. As we mature, our capacity to assert and enjoy rights may increase over time. Likewise, our capacity may decrease due to serious illness, old age or other reason. At all stages, however, born and unborn, we remain the same human being with the same inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights. These human rights rest on the foundation-stone of the right to life. Life is the constant which makes the exercise of every other human right possible. As lawyers drawn from every level of the profession, both currently in practice and those now working in other fields, we hope that, having considered what is at stake in the coming referendum and the far-reaching proposals of Government, our society will conclude that it would be profoundly unjust to withdraw the existing constitutional protections from the unborn child or to give Government the power that they seek to legislate in this area.
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RÁITEAS In Airteagal 40.3.3° de Bhunreacht na hÉireann (‘an tOchtú Leasú’) “[A]dmhaíonn an Stát ceart na mbeo gan breith chun a mbeatha agus, ag féachaint go cuí do chomhcheart na máthar chun a beatha, ráthaíonn sé gan cur isteach lena dhlíthe ar an gceart sin agus ráthaíonn fós an ceart sin a chosaint is a shuíomh lena dhlíthe sa mhéid gur féidir é.” Aithníonn an tOchtú Leasú cearta máithreacha chun a mbeatha. Mar is léir ón bhfoclaíocht, ní chosnaíonn sé ceart na mbeo gan bhreith chun a mbeatha ach chomh fada is nach gcuireann an chosaint sin isteach ar cheart na máthar chun a beatha sise. Rialaigh an Chúirt Uachtarach le déanaí sa chás M –v- An tAire Dlí agus Cirt agus Comhionannais go bhfuil cearta na mbeo gan bhreith faoin mBunreacht teoranta do na cearta sin a admhaítear san Ochtú Leasú. Dá réir sin, b’ionann an tOchtú Leasú a aisghairm agus an t-aitheantas atá anois ann maidir le ceart na mbeo gan bhreith chun a mbeatha a bhaint amach as an mBunreacht ar fad agus gach cosaint bhunreachtúil don bhuachaill sa bhroinn nó don chailín sa bhroinn a thógáil glan amach as an mBunreacht. Tá sé tugtha le fios ag an Rialtas go bhfuil rún acu reachtaíocht a chur faoi bhráid an Oireachtais má dhéantar an tOchtú Leasú a aisghairm. Cheadódh an reachtaíocht atá i gceist deireadh a chur le saol an linbh sa bhroinn gan chúis ar bith le linn na chéad 12 seachtain agus i bhfad ina dhiaidh sin ar chúiseanna as ar tháinig ginmhilleadh ar éileamh i ndlínsí agus i dtíortha eile. Anuas air sin, d’fhéadfaí srian ar bith a chuirfí ar ghinmhileadh le reachtaíocht a chur ar ceal am ar bith amach anseo ar neamhchead don Phobal. Is léir, dá bhrí sin, nach ginmhilleadh i gcásanna eisceachtúla amháin atátar a mholadh ach ceart forleathan chun ginmhilleadh a fháil. Bhí gach duine againn sa bhroinn tráth. De réir mar a théimid in aois, méadaíonn ár gcumas cearta a éileamh agus a bhaint amach. Chomh maith leis sin, is féidir go laghdóidh ar ár gcumas de dheasca tinnis thromaí, seanaois nó cúiseanna eile. Ag gach staid den turas seo, áfach, sa mbroinn nó taobh amuigh fán saol mór, is iad na daoine céanna muid i gcónaí leis an dínit dhúchasach chéanna agus leis na cearta comhionanna doshantaithe céanna. Is í is bunchloch do na cearta daonna seo ar fad ná an ceart chun na beatha. Is í an Bheatha an rud buan a cheadaíonn agus a áisíonn duit gach ceart daonna eile a fheidhmiú. Mar dhlíodóirí ó gach gné dár ngairm, idir lucht cleachtaithe dlí agus iad sin atá anois ag obair i réimsí eile, tá dóchas againn go dtiocfaidh an tsochaí seo againn ar an tátal, agus machnamh déanta ar an méad atá idir dhá cheann na meá sa reifreann seo chugainn agus i moltaí forleathana leathadacha an Rialtais, go mbeadh sé éagórach ó bhonn na cosaintí atá anois sa Bhunreacht a tharraingt siar ón leanbh sa bhroinn nó chun an chumhacht a thabhairt don Rialtas atá á lorg acu chun reachtaíocht a thabhairt isteach sa cheantar seo.