The time is right for Ireland to reform its laws on abortion

In 2010, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Ireland’s implementation of abortion laws had violated the rights of a woman who was forced to travel abroad to terminate her pregnancy. Liz Wicks outlines the legal position, noting that although Ireland has some of the most restrictive abortion legislation in Europe, the Supreme Court has interpreted the Irish Constitution as permitting abortion in cases where the mother’s life is at risk. It remains to be seen whether the Irish government’s response to the ruling will lead to a wider reform process in which the country’s abortion laws can be brought into step with other European states.