These archaic laws are killing women

**The death of Savita Halappanavar sparked controversy throughout the world. An investigation continues into whether this was the result of medical negligence or an antiquated law based on medieval Catholic Church convention.**

The Irish law on abortion is still a point of contention. Much of Ireland’s law is influenced by the Catholic religion. Ireland classifies abortion as an illegal act unless there is an immediate threat to the life of the mother.

In 1992, abortion law was brought to the forefront by the landmark ‘X case.’ A pregnant and suicidal 14-year-old schoolgirl, a rape victim, was prevented from leaving Ireland in an attempt to terminate her pregnancy. The Irish Supreme Court ruled that while both mother and child had an equal right to life, the imminent threat to the life of the mother by her own hand was grounds for abortion. The life of the mother was placed over the unborn child. At best, this is inconsistent; at worst this is hypocrisy.

No legislation that can give any clarity was enacted, leaving a great deal of uncertainty regarding the circumstances under which a termination could be carried out. This is an unacceptable, archaic approach.

Women should have control over their own bodies. Cases like the ‘X case’ and Savita Halappanavar expose the brutal irony of pro-life organisations and their deplorable ambiguity.
Some think the UK is too lenient on abortion. In 2011, the Department of Health released the staggering figures that 196,082 abortions were carried out, with 6,151 women stating Irish addresses. The Guttmacher Institute says, “If you outlaw abortion and limit contraception, you get more abortion, because more women who don’t want to have babies get pregnant…the way to get fewer abortions is to provide contraception.” The Washington University School of Medicine also published research showing abortion rates plummeted with the introduction of free contraception.
Contraception in Ireland was only legalised in 1980, with strong restrictions. There is no denying that Ireland has a long way to go before it mandates basic rights for women. Why should womens’ lives be risked in the name of a redundant system of ethics that places the rights of an as yet unexisting person over a fully-fledged human being?