The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #159128 Message #3772398
Posted By: Jim Carroll
13-Feb-16 - 08:51 AM
Thread Name: BS: Zika vs anti-abortion cults
Subject: RE: BS: Zika vs anti-abortion cults
"My point is that you attacked and ridiculed Northern Ireland for having exactly the same ruling as Southern Ireland, where you choose to live."
I did not - I attacked an archaic law that has just been confirmed by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
We have argued in the past for the reason why the South has the laws and constitution it has - heavy-handed Church influence (you in fact, on the Halappanavar case, claimed the Church didn't make the laws and could be in no way blamed for what happened).
I defend neither Governments for their stand on pregnancy termination (I don't defend politicians of any country - most are sharks) - but at least we in the Republic now stand a chance of shaking off the influence of the church and perhaps reversing the situation, while in the Brit-bit, things will continue as they always were.
The church got its fingers severely burnt over the same-sex-marriage issue; the Bishop of Dublin described it as "a wake-up call for the church".
Let's hope they have learned their lesson - though I ha'e ma doots!!
For the record - this is the situation in Northern Ireland as it has just been confirmed in British Ireland.
"But the law governing abortion in Northern Ireland is one of the most restrictive in Europe and carries the harshest criminal penalty of any European country – life imprisonment both for the woman who has an illegal abortion and for anyone who has assisted her.
The 1967 Abortion Act has never been extended to Northern Ireland and abortion is only carried out when the life or mental health of the mother is deemed to be in danger. This happens very rarely; official statistics indicate that only 23 lawful terminations took place in Northern Ireland in 2013-14.
The law means in practice that women who have money can get an abortion; those without cannot. Monday's judgment in Belfast's high court, ruling that aspects of the legislation contradict European human rights law, will do little to change that"
Jim Carroll