Lawyer speaks on the need to defend unborn

May 1983

AT A MEETING hosted by the Bray Branch of SPUC last week, Mr Iarfhlaith O’Neill, a member of the Association of Lawyers for the Defence of the Unborn, gave the background to the need for an amendment to the constitution to protect the right to life of the unborn child.

Mr O’Neill stated that because of the situation worldwide on abortion, concerned people in this country became anxious that abortion could be legalised in Ireland.

There is no specific or implied protection in the constitution for the unborn child.

The only protection the unborn child had was the anti-abortion provisions of the 1861 Offences against the Persons Act. This Act could be overturned by the courts or a new Act could be passed by the Dail legalising abortion at some time in the future.