The hearing of the A, B and C case the latest and most serious threat so far to Ireland’s pro-life laws comes before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg on Thursday Dec. 9th 2009. The hearing is scheduled to commence at 9.30 am. A peaceful pro-life prayer vigil will be held outside the Court during the hearing.
The case involves three anonymous women two of whom are Irish and a Latvian woman resident in Ireland, supported by the Irish Family Planning Association IFPA who have challenged Ireland’ pro-life laws claiming their health and wellbeing were undermined because they had to travel abroad for abortion. The IFPA is part of the International Planned Parenthood network (IPPF) one of the largest abortion providers in the world. The Case is also supported by the Centre for Reproductive Rights the arm of the international abortion movement which specialises in challenging national laws in order to expand access to abortion with the aim of establishing it as a human right.
A number of interventions have been made by pro-life organisations. Former Irish MEP Kathy Sinnott represented by the European Centre for Law and Justice, together with the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) and the US Family Research Council, jointly lodged an amicus brief upholding the right to life of the unborn.
If you can be in Strasbourg on Dec.9th please contact me at
patrick@europeanlifenetwork.org or
Liam Gibson at liamgibson@spuc.org.uk.
