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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
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| Irish abortion case in Strasbourg | Irish abortion case in Strasbourg |
| (about 2 hours 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 class="" href="/2/hi/talking_point/8404230.stm">Read your comments | |
| 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. |
| 'Draconian' | 'Draconian' |
| Abortion is illegal in Ireland, a deeply Catholic country, unless the life of the woman is in danger. | Abortion is illegal in Ireland, a deeply Catholic country, unless the life of the woman is in danger. |
| The Irish constitution was amended in 1983 to include the "Pro-Life Amendment", which asserted that the unborn child had an explicit right to life from conception. | The Irish constitution was amended in 1983 to include the "Pro-Life Amendment", which asserted that the unborn child had an explicit right to life from conception. |
| 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. |
| The Irish Family Planning Association welcomed the challenge to the laws, which it described as "draconian". | The Irish Family Planning Association welcomed the challenge to the laws, which it described as "draconian". |
| It said they violated international human rights norms "because they inflict such grievous harm to women's health and well-being". | It said they violated international human rights norms "because they inflict such grievous harm to women's health and well-being". |
| But 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. | But 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. |
| "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." | "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." |