Ireland Moves Closer to Legalizing Abortion

Recently in Ireland a body called the Irish Citizens’ Assembly took steps long feared by supporters of the right to life.
The assembly is not a regular constitutional component of the Irish government. Rather it is a body called into being by the government to make suggestions as to potential constitutional amendments for the legislature to propose for the voters to consider in referenda. A comparable assembly called a few years ago suggested a few amendments, including abolishing the upper house of the legislature, the Senate (Seanad in Irish), and lowering the age to be elected to the presidency from 35 to 21 years.
Both failed in referendum. However, one suggested amendment approved by both houses of the parliament (Oireachtas in Irish), the Seanad and the Dáil, the lower and popularly elected house, was approved in a referendum in 2015 by more than 60.5 percent of the voters. That amendment allowed same-sex “marriage” in Ireland.
The recent assembly, called into being last fall …