🚀 go-pugleaf

**** ****** ****** **   **
 **  **     **      ** **
 **  *****  *****    ***           COMMUNIQUE # 4 - 36
 **  **     **      ** **          18 SEPTEMBER 1995
**** **     ****** **   **
International Freedom of Expression eXchange Clearing House
_________________________________________________________________


IRELAND: RESTRICTIONS ON ABORTION INFO VIOLATE FREE EXPRESSION

Although the Irish government has made strides towards
alleviating restrictions on information on abortion services
abroad, there are still some freedom of expression concerns
surrounding the issue, reports the Human Rights Watch (HRW)
Women's Rights Project in its "Global Report on Women's Human
Rights". The report, which was just released, comprises research
from the last five years. In a section on "The Abortion Debate
and Violations of Civil Liberties in Ireland", HRW explains that
in Ireland, where abortion is illegal, the government has impeded
women's access to information and the right to travel outside the
country to receive abortion services. Popular opposition to these
restriction led to a new law which "guarantees individuals the
right to disseminate information about family planning options
outside of Ireland," says HRW, "but significant restrictions to
the freedom of expression remain in place." HRW notes that the
Abortion Information Bill, which finally went into effect this
May, "falls short of fully vindicating the right to impart
information on abortion services overseas." The law, which was
passed in March 1995 by Parliament, was deemed constitutional in
May by the Irish Supreme Court. The Court made significant steps
towards improving the bill, which originally limited the right to
provide information by specifying that information on abortions
could only be provided if requested.

In its comprehensive report, HRW provides an analysis of the
arduous struggle for freedom of information and expression on the
abortion issue for more than a decade in Ireland. In 1992, a
national outcry ensued when a 14-year-old girl who had become
pregnant after being raped was prohibited by the Court from going
to England for an abortion because her life was not perceived to
be in danger. The press was banned from reporting on the case by
virtue of the attorney general's threat to charge newspapers with
contempt of court if they did so. HRW had protested to the
government at that time over the ban, in addition to "prior
restraints on free expression placed upon family planning clinics
and student unions." The ban on abortion information extended to
all clinics and even student organizations. Copies of the report
are available for U.S. $18.00 (domestic shipping) or U.S. $22.50
(international shipping) from the Publications Department, Human
Rights Watch, 485 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10017-6104.
______________________________________________________________
   Association mondiale des radiodiffuseurs communautaires
      World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters
          Asociacion mundial de radios comunitarias
3575 Blvd. St. Laurent, Suite 704     Email: amarc@web.apc.org
Montreal, Quebec                         Tel: (1-514) 982-0351
CANADA  H2X 2T7                          Fax: (1-514) 849-7129
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~