Dublin - A legal expert told a Dáil committee yesterday that Ireland officials may need to adopt a strong constitutional amendment to protect its laws against abortion from being toppled by international attacks. Trinity law professor William Binchy described how Europe and the United Nations could apply pressure.

Binchy told the panel that the "open door policy" towards European law is becoming dangerous in part because of the Lisbon Treaty but because of the "dynamic progression of jurisprudence" in the European Court of Justice.

"There are serious concerns within the EU venture with respect to abortion," he added, according to a Irish Times report.

Professor Binchy told the panel that European courts and more frequently looking at abortion as a "service" for women that can't be denied and he said the Ireland Constitution could address the issue in an amendment that prevent abortion from being seen as an international or domestic right.

Meanwhile, the Times noted that Maureen Junker Kenny, an ethicist at TCD, worried that the Dail has not addressed the increasing bioethics concerns that involve the destruction of human life.

"Unlike other democracies, the Dáil has not debated or voted on matters such as . . . the use of embryonic stem cells, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis or end-of- life care," she said.

The newspaper indicated Kenny said members of the public want an explanation from government officials about Ireland's position in the embryonic stem cell research funding debate at the European Union Parliament.

The budget contains a compromise that would make sure the EU does not directly pay for embryonic stem cell research but allows nations to fund it with their own money.

Source : Steven Ertelt, Editor - LifeNews.com



[BACK TO NEWS HEADLINES]