| Lithuanian Government intervenes in ABC v Ireland case
The Lithuanian Government have intervened in the ABC v Ireland case currently before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), as one of the women code named C is understood to be a Lithuanian National,
According to a brief submitted by the Lithuanian Government, the ECHR "until now have not had an opportunity to express some more comprehensive degree of protection to which a woman seeking abortion would be entitled vis-à-vis her unborn child"
According to the brief there would be room for the Court to develop certain general principles on the minimum degree of protection that a woman seeking abortion should enjoy while striking a fair balance between the rights and interests of the mother to be and the need to ensure protection for the foetus
The observations set out existing ECHR case law on abortion, the perceived lack of effective domestic remedies in the case and the most recent developments in the field of abortion within the framework of the council of Europe from which they argue in support of the need of general principles to be drawn by the Court in regard to abortion
The need to lay down some uniform standards in protecting the rights and interests of the women seeking abortion in Europe could be proved, according to the brief, by the adoption by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (COE) on April 16th 2008 of resolution 1607(2008) "On access to Safe and Legal Abortion in Europe".
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| Human Rights day 2008, 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human rights
The theme for the 2008 Human Rights day, which will be on Dec. 10th is "Dignity and justice for all of us," reinforces the vision of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) as a commitment to universal dignity and justice. Since its adoption in 1948, the Declaration has been and continues to be a source of inspiration for national and international efforts to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms.
There will be a number of UN related initiatives on the day including a special session of the General Assembly to discuss the UDHR at 60
For all its lofty ideals the UDHR has failed to protect the most vulnerable members of our society who cannot speak for themselves. Babies once conceived and prior to birth are treated as disposable and millions are terminated annually. This failure is not so much a failure of the actual text of the document as the inadequacy, or deliberate manipulation of its interpretation and therefore its implementation.
The UDHR explicitly includes all members of the human family and yet those who interpret and implement the UDHR and the conventions enacted as part of the Bill of Rights have allowed themselves to be diverted by ideologues and have supported their demands rather than serving the truth
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| Greetings!
We report this week on Bishop's Herman's speech to his brother Bishops in the US in which he told them it would be a privelege to die to end abortion
We have a further update on the ABC case V Ireland. We reported last week on the pro-life intervention submitted jointly by SPUC,reported last week on the pro-life intervention in the ABC case before the European Court of Human Rights submitted jointly by SPUC, The Family Research Council and the European Centre for law and Justice. There was one other pro-life intervention submitted the Pro-Life Campaign Ireland. In addition to the pro-life interventions there are three pro-abortion interventions in the case, the first submitted by the Government of Lithuania, as one of the women is understood to be a Lithuanian National, the second being a joint submission by the Centre for Reproductive Rights and the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law "Sexual Health Law Programme. The third pro-abortion intervention was jointly submitted by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) and Doctors for Choice Ireland.
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Bishop Hermann willing to die to end abortion
For any bishop it would be a "privilege to die tomorrow to bring about an end to abortion."Bishop Robert J. Hermann, administrator, St. Louis Archdiocese speaking at the US Catholic Bishops conference highlighted the evil of abortion said that that Catholics' response to abortion in the US should be proportionate to the scale of the tragedy. "We have lost 50 times as many children in the last 35 years as we have lost soldiers in all the wars since the Revolution he told his fellow Bishops. "If we are willing to die tomorrow" he continued, " then we should be willing to, until the end of our lives, to take all kinds of criticism for opposing this horrible infanticide." (CNA and Zenit.org reports)
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UCC Debate Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Baroness Mary Warnock speaking at a debate on stem cell research at University College Cork (UCC) on Monday Nov. 24th, said, scientists had an absolute duty to "proceed on this path of human compassion" and she congratulated UCC for what she described as its "admirable move" in approving the use of embryonic stem cell research at the campus. UCC biochemist Dr Tom Moore also spoke in favour of the research whilst Prof Tommy McCarthy and Dr Donal O'Mathuna upheld the right to life of the unborn from conception.
Dr O'Mathuna, an ethics expert from Dublin City University, said the human embryo should be allowed the respect of reaching its full potential. He claimed the lack of regulation surrounding embryonic stem cell research in Ireland needed to be addressed. (Irish Times Article)
In the most recent attack on the right to life of the unborn in Ireland UCC decided last month to allow embryonic stem cell research when members of the governing body voted by 16 votes to 15 to endorse a code of practice.
Youth Defence in a news release said that the emergence of Baroness Warnock as an apologist for UCC's decision to begin embryo research, is indicative of the mindset of supporters of experimentation on human life. Carolyn Johnston of Youth Defence, said that the Baroness had previously said that resuscitating premature babies was a waste of resources; that people with dementia may have a duty to die; and, in relation to the human embryo, that you couldn't respect something that you would pour down the sink. This woman has utterly extreme views, said Ms Johnston. She declares the sick, the old and the vulnerable useless and wants to take their right to life away at a whim |
Czech Christian Democrats want govt to withdraw its abortion bill
A Czech Republic Bill to extend Abortion Services to all EU Citizens has run into trouble The new bill which was approved by the Czech Republic cabinet would extend abortion and other related health services to all European Union (EU) citizens. The bill however is being met with strong resistance by deputies of the Christian Democratic Union (KDU-CSL), a junior member of the governing coalition, who have conscientious objections to the bill and have also expressed the belief that the Czech Republic will become an "abortion tourism destination" for EU citizens if it is enacted. Christian Democratic Union ministers in the cabinet, who approved the bill, are being strongly urged to withdraw their support for the bill before it is submitted to parliament by deputy party members. According to CeskeNoviny.cz, EU rules state that all participating member states should provide the same services and care to all EU citizens that the local citizen receives. Christian Democratic Union spokesman, Martin Horalek, stated that deputies of the Union are ready to counter the EU's same-care principle, even at the cost of a lawsuit and a fine Prague could face as a consequence. |
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Bill to Outlaw Embryonic Stem Cell Research in Ireland
A Bill to outlaw embryonic stem cell research drafted by Independent Senator, Rónán Mullen, was debated in Seanad Éireann [the Irish Senate or Upper House] on November 26, 2008. Senator Mullen said the Bill is limited to the issue of research on embryonic stem cells, and doesn't deal with IVF or other related issues. The Bill generated considerable debate and appeared to have a reasonable level of cross party support.
Senator John Hanafin spoke strongly in favour of Senator Mullen's Bill. He said that his primary reason for opposing embryonic stem cell research was that in destroying embryos in order to harvest embryonic stem cells, human beings are being killed. A secondary reason of his for opposing embryonic stem cell research is that all the progress in regard to cures has come from research on, or use of, adult stem cells.
Dr Jim Devins, Junior Minister for Health in the Irish Government, referred to the Government's plans for dealing with this issue and with Assisted Human Reproduction. He said that an Oireachtas Committee on the issue were studying the way forward, and that they would be guided by the 2005 Report on the Commission on Assisted Human Reproduction (the vast majority of whom take an anti-life stance on these issues). Dr Devins said that the Government were also awaiting the decision of the Supreme Court on the appeal in the 3 Embryos Case. He told the House that recent progress in respect of adult pluripotent cells post-dates the CAHR Report, and would have to be taken into account in the government plans. Dr Devins referred approvingly to the Castillo case in Barcelona, where adult stem cells were used to rebuild a woman's trachea
Senator Mullen did not call for a vote on the Bill which will remain on the order paper indefinitely.
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