- Culture
- 22 Apr 17
At 2.30pm this afternoon, the Citizen's Assembly voted by a slim majority to recommend that Article 40.3.3 (known as the 8th Amendment) to the Constitution should be replaced or amended.
In a day of extraordinary drama – a not a little confusion – 56% of the members of the so called Citizen's assembly have voted that we should "replace or amend" the Article 40.3.3 of the Irish constitution, while 44% voted to repeal the 8th Amendment. The Article in question gives no more weight to the life of a woman who is pregnant than to that of a foetus, at even the very earliest stage of its development.
It has resulted in a hugely restrictive approach to gynaecological issues in Ireland, resulting in the death of a number mothers – some, like that of Savita Halappanaver – more high profile than others.
The decision arrived at today by this Government appointed body means that members of the Citizen's Assembly will now move to a third ballot, where they will attempt to determine what amendments or replacements should be recommended.
The recommendations of the Citizen's Assembly are not binding on the Government.
Although the final implications of the vote by the Citizen's Assembly remain unclear, the result has come as a blow to those who wanted an outright repeal of the 8th Amendment.
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#CitizensAssembly Ballot 2 Result: 56% of the members have voted that Article 40.3.3 should be replaced or amended
— Citizens' Assembly (@CitizAssembly) April 22, 2017
Results of Ballot 2 56% 40.3.3 should be replaced/amended and 44% it should be repealed. #CitizensAssembly
— Orla O'Connor (@OrlaNWCI) April 22, 2017
Journalist and activist Ellen Coyne has been doing significant work covering the developments:
.@thetimesIE Regardless of how ballot 3 goes, the assembly will vote on specific cases where abortion should be available tomorrow. Options: pic.twitter.com/b26wZT1kTI
— Ellen Coyne (@ellenmcoyne) April 22, 2017