Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 8 November 2017

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution

Medical Law Review: Dr. Ruth Fletcher, Queen Mary University London

1:30 pm

Dr. Ruth Fletcher:

The legal ground would be a risk to health. The circumstances where somebody is pregnant through rape and is distressed and vulnerable and does not want to continue that pregnancy clearly can constitute a risk to her psychological health. It is to continue the pregnancy against her will in circumstances where she is pregnant through a violation in that way. There are different circumstances. That set of circumstances relating to her experience of pregnancy through rape can constitute the risk to health. That would be the legal ground specified in the legislation. The rape circumstance is the risk to health legal ground in statute. Then there would be a code of practice or regulation to join the pathway between the two.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.