Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 18 October 2017

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution

Risks to Health, Including Physical Health, of Pregnant Women: Professor Sabaratnam Arulkumaran, Dr. Peter Boylan and Dr. Meabh Ní Bhuinneáin

1:40 pm

Dr. Meabh Ní Bhuinneáin:

The other reason is that liberal practice evolves over time and that is the difficulty with definitions. Already it has been raised here as to how to define a serious risk to mental health as was the case in the UK, in which a member of the institute has commented on. The law will be tested when it is in use. In spite of the best efforts to legislate in appropriate language, allowing some freedom in regulation would be advisable.