#repealthe8th: prospects for reform

This evening I was very pleased to give the first in this year’s series on seminars on Abortion in Context: Law, Ethics, and Practice, held at University College, Oxford. In today’s seminar (abstract here) I very briefly outlined abortion law in Ireland (drawing largely on this recent article in the Michigan J. of Gender and the Law) and then considered the ways in which the 8th amendment holds a powerful rhetorical hold on politics, professional practice, and popular sentiment in Ireland. This rhetorical power is, I claimed, significant in any consideration of the obstacles to be overcome in attempting to build momentum behind (a) holding and (b) winning a referendum on repeal of the 8th Amendment to the Constitution. The slides from this evening’s talk are here, and there will be a further seminar on abortion in Univ every week for the rest of this term. Details of the full term card are available here.