The Irish Law on Abortion a Year After its Approval

After several lively debates and judicial decisions, the Irish Parliament passed a law on abortion, at the end of July 2013. The Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013, has not put an end to the discussion or calmed anxieties. This paper aims, first, to examine the legal aspects of abortion’s history in Ireland, highlighting those that make the Irish situation unique compared to that of other European countries; second, to address the question of the legal status of the human embryo in the Irish legal system regarding both abortion, and assisted reproductive technologies, and finally, to propose some concrete steps forward to protect unborn human life.