Irish abortion laws breached cancer patient’s rights

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Series Title
Series Details 17.12.10
Publication Date 17/12/2010
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The European Court of Human rights delivered its Grand Chamber judgment in the case of A. B. and C. v. Ireland. The Court held that there had been no violation of Article 8 (right to private and family life) in respect of the first and the second applicants, and unanimously, that there had been a violation of Article 8 in respect of the third applicant. The applicants, all three of whom live in Ireland, travelled to the United Kingdom to have an abortion. They complain about the restrictions on the possibility of abortion in Ireland.

Ireland may have to rewrite its anti-abortion legislation, after the European Court of Human Rights ruled on the 16 December 2010 that it had violated the rights of a woman with a rare form of cancer who travelled to the UK for an abortion.

The Irish Government said it would consider carefully the judgment In a statement, it said it would consider what steps are required to implement the decision.

Related Links
Ireland: Department of the Taoiseach: Press Release, 16.12.10 http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/eng/News/Archives/2010/Taoiseach's_Press_Releases_2010/
BBC News, 16.12.10: Irish abortion ban 'violated woman's rights' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11342247
ESO: Background information: Calls for Irish and Poles to lift abortion ban http://www.europeansources.info/record/calls-for-irish-and-poles-to-lift-abortion-ban/
Irish Times, 17.12.10: Abortion becomes election issue after court ruling http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2010/1217/1224285738508.html
EUObserver, 16.12.10: Human rights court slams Irish abortion law http://euobserver.com/9/31525
ECHR: Press Release, No.974, 2010: Rights to abortion in Ireland http://cmiskp.echr.coe.int/tkp197/view.asp?action=open&documentId=878724&portal=hbkm&source=externalbydocnumber&table=F69A27FD8FB86142BF01C1166DEA398649

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