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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Irish abortion case in Strasbourg | Irish abortion case in Strasbourg |
| (19 minutes later) | |
| The Irish Republic's strict abortion law is being challenged in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. | The Irish Republic's strict abortion law is being challenged in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. |
| The legal action has been brought by three Irish women who say the effective ban on abortion in Ireland violates the European Convention on Human Rights. | The legal action has been brought by three Irish women who say the effective ban on abortion in Ireland violates the European Convention on Human Rights. |
| All three have travelled to Britain to have abortions. | All three have travelled to Britain to have abortions. |
| The Irish government has engaged two leading lawyers to argue its case that the country has a sovereign right to protect the life of the unborn. | The Irish government has engaged two leading lawyers to argue its case that the country has a sovereign right to protect the life of the unborn. |
| The three Irish women will be identified only as A, B, and C during the Strasbourg court hearings. | The three Irish women will be identified only as A, B, and C during the Strasbourg court hearings. |
| If I were in any country and this were to go against Ireland, I would be very concerned that the Europeans feel they can step into domestic law Johanna HigginsAssociation of Catholic Lawyers of Ireland Crisis at European rights court | If I were in any country and this were to go against Ireland, I would be very concerned that the Europeans feel they can step into domestic law Johanna HigginsAssociation of Catholic Lawyers of Ireland Crisis at European rights court |
| They argue that being forced to travel abroad for abortions endangered their "health and well-being" as safeguarded by the European Convention on Human Rights. | They argue that being forced to travel abroad for abortions endangered their "health and well-being" as safeguarded by the European Convention on Human Rights. |
| The two constitutional lawyers representing the government of Ireland argue that the convention's safeguards cannot be interpreted as endorsing the right to abortion. | The two constitutional lawyers representing the government of Ireland argue that the convention's safeguards cannot be interpreted as endorsing the right to abortion. |
| The case is the first challenge to Ireland's abortion laws in more than 15 years, the BBC's Europe correspondent Jonny Dymond says. | The case is the first challenge to Ireland's abortion laws in more than 15 years, the BBC's Europe correspondent Jonny Dymond says. |
| Almost 140,000 Irish women have travelled to Britain over the past 30 years to have abortions, our correspondent adds. | Almost 140,000 Irish women have travelled to Britain over the past 30 years to have abortions, our correspondent adds. |
| Johanna Higgins, co-founder of the Association of Catholic Lawyers of Ireland, told the BBC's World Today programme that a ruling against Ireland would be an infringement of its ability to decide its own laws. | |
| "Whatever the human rights aspects are of this, abortion is illegal in Ireland because it is a criminal offence," she said. | "Whatever the human rights aspects are of this, abortion is illegal in Ireland because it is a criminal offence," she said. |
| "So if the ruling goes against Ireland, the European Court of Human Rights would be flexing its muscles in such a way as to be asking a European member state to change its criminal law," she told the BBC's World Today programme. | "So if the ruling goes against Ireland, the European Court of Human Rights would be flexing its muscles in such a way as to be asking a European member state to change its criminal law," she told the BBC's World Today programme. |
| "That would have ramifications for the whole of Europe. If I were in any country and this were to go against Ireland, I would be very concerned that the Europeans feel they can step into domestic law." | "That would have ramifications for the whole of Europe. If I were in any country and this were to go against Ireland, I would be very concerned that the Europeans feel they can step into domestic law." |
| Have you had an unwanted pregnancy and left the Irish Republic to get advice leading to an abortion? Send us your comments. | Have you had an unwanted pregnancy and left the Irish Republic to get advice leading to an abortion? Send us your comments. |
| The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions | The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions |