Citizen's Assembly Delivers Verdict on 8th

A day of high drama has delivered further surprises, as the so called Citizen’s assembly delivered the results of a series of votes on the abortion issue.

In the latest round of ballots, during what has been an emotionally debated and hotly contested process, the Assembly voted to recommend that terminations of pregnancy should be available in Ireland with "no restriction as to reasons."

That seems like a remarkable turn-around from the earlier decision that the 8th Amendment should be retained – albeit altered. In all, the Assembly has approved 13 grounds for legal terminations in Ireland. These would be enabled by legislation in the event that its recommendation that the current Constitutional restrictions on abortion should be replaced in a referendum are followed through by the Government.

Among the most progressive reforms, supported this afternoon by the majority of the Assembly, was that abortion should be available when there is a risk to the health, rather than the life (as currently applies) of the woman.

The Assembly also decided to support the view that abortion should be legalised, when the unborn child has a significant foetal abnormality – even if that abnormality is not likely to result in death of the child, before or shortly after birth.

Eighty-eight of the Assembly's ordinary members voted to finalise their proposals in what was a secret ballot. The process entered into by the Citizen’s Assembly took five months in all.

The Assembly's Chair, Ms Justice Mary Laffoy, now has the responsibility of delivering the group's report on the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution to a Joint Oireachtas Committee. The deadline is to deliver the report within 10 weeks.

The process then requires the Oireachtas Committee to inform the Dáil and Seanad of its verdict on the Assembly's recommendations within three months of convening.