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Ms Justice Mary Laffoy. Citizens' Assembly via YouTube

Citizens' Assembly chair says balance 'fundamental' following criticism from anti-abortion groups

Supreme Court judge Ms Justice Mary Laffoy reaffirmed a commitment to balance.

THE CHAIR OF the Citizens’ Assembly has moved to reaffirm its commitment to balance while discussing the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution following criticism from the anti-abortion side of the debate.

Supreme Court judge Ms Justice Mary Laffoy addressed the 99 members of the assembly this afternoon, saying that the pursuit of balance was “fundamental” to the work of the assembly to date.

Laffoy restated the reasoning behind the formation of the work programme and reaffirmed her commitment to having both sides of the debate represented as equally as possible.

“We have consistently tried to put the medical and the legal material before you in a factual, neutral and balanced manner,” she said.

“I have to say this balance can be difficult to achieve in such a highly contested and controversial area.”

While not directly mentioning any criticism, Ms Justice Laffoy appeared to be addressing complaints from the anti-abortion side of the debate that the programme of speakers wasn’t balanced enough.

Anti-abortion group the Life Institute said yesterday that the assembly had “lost all credibility” as it featured submissions from representatives of groups who carried out abortions.

This was in response to the assembly hearing yesterday from representatives connected with the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) – the UK’s leading abortion care service – and the New York-based Guttmacher Institute.

Yesterday, the assembly heard from Dr Patricia A. Lohr, an obstetrician and gynaecologist who has also been medical director of BPAS since 2007.

Lohr’s expert submission focussed on Irish women who travelled to the UK for abortions.

Response 

Ms Justice Laffoy said today that the way in which the speakers were laid out was to ensure that the medical and legal perspectives of abortion were considered before any arguments for or against were put forward.

“I wanted you to know how things happen on the ground and I wanted you to know what the law is in practice,” she said.

“I decided to do this by selecting speakers who were highly experienced and experts in their respective fields but who had not expressed a viewpoint of opinion on the Eighth Amendment.

I also set out to ensure that speakers with connections to organisations which are regarded as promoting one side of the issue would be asked to present a factual narrative of the position on the ground.
They were asked in explicit terms not to adopt an advocacy approach.

This weekend marked the third meeting of the Citizens’ Assembly in dealing with the issues surrounding the Eighth Amendment. It will meet again next month on 3 and 4 of March.

Today, the 99 members of the assembly today heard arguments for and against abortion from an ethical perspective.

Look back over the stream from this weekend’s session here

Read: Ian Bailey indicted in France for murder of Sophie Toscon du Plantier

Read: An Irishman in Colombia: ‘It’s worth remembering the Good Friday agreement has acted as an inspiration’

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161 Comments
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    Mute ktsiwot
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    Jan 16th 2018, 8:34 AM

    One of the truly great songwriters, one of lifes mystery’s is how he made 60, a true testament to the resilience of the human body.

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    Mute Dave O'Hanlon
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    Jan 16th 2018, 8:22 AM

    Congrats Shane, deserves it

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    Mute Gavin O'Brien
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    Jan 16th 2018, 8:21 AM

    Legend !

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    Mute Windy Atlantic Way
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    Jan 16th 2018, 8:41 AM

    @Gavin O’Brien: absolute legend,
    Such a pity Dolores o Riordan didn’t get one also.

    119
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    Mute @Kevinro1980
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    Jan 16th 2018, 8:24 AM

    He looks in a bad way.

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    Mute John Byrne
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    Jan 16th 2018, 8:36 AM

    @@Kevinro1980:

    What happened to him?

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    Mute Paul Coughlan
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    Jan 16th 2018, 8:42 AM

    @@Kevinro1980: Dubliners song seven drunken nights comes to mind

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Jan 16th 2018, 9:22 AM

    @John Byrne: 40+ years of alcohol and drug abuse will do that to you. Unless you’re Keith Richards, in which case you walk away unscathed. I think Shane also broke his hip recently.

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    Mute Christine Paulette Roche
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    Jan 16th 2018, 8:29 AM

    Would love to have been at this,absolutely love Shane McGowan, and to top it all off,Nick Cave was there too,would literally have fainted on the spot,Anyway congratulations Shane,legend.

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    Mute Amy Wearen
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    Jan 16th 2018, 9:06 AM

    Well deserved but, something tells me 2018 may claim him soon too

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    Mute Wayne Scales
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    Jan 16th 2018, 10:04 AM

    The greatest poet of my lifetime.

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    Mute Frances Houlihan
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    Jan 16th 2018, 10:29 AM

    One of Ireland’s most talented artists

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    Mute O Swetenham
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    Jan 16th 2018, 11:32 AM

    Immensely talented, no doubt about that, but he’s from England not Ireland.

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Jan 16th 2018, 11:49 AM

    @O Swetenham: born in England to irish parents, spent the first 6 and a half years of his life in Tipperary, considers himself Irish and has spent more of his life living in Ireland than England. That makes him irish in my opinion.

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    Mute O Swetenham
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    Jan 16th 2018, 12:07 PM

    @Dermot Lane: Yeah you’re right. I’m being a wee bit pedantic I suppose.

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    Mute TechProducts
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    Jan 16th 2018, 11:16 AM

    The picture reminds me of one of those creepy Victorian post mortem photos where family members would pose for one last family photo with the dressed up corpse.

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    Mute Minom Pnnomm
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    Jan 16th 2018, 6:59 PM

    @TechProducts: he looks like a waxwork statue

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    Mute Brian Brogan
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    Jan 16th 2018, 11:05 AM

    Does anybody know if this was recorded and if so will it be made available for viewing?

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    Mute Evan Wakefield
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    Jan 16th 2018, 2:42 PM

    @Brian Brogan: There was a some professional camera men there last night along with notices saying it was being recorded so hopefully it will become available.
    Incredible night but I was annoyed to see some empty seats in front of us from no shows when there was a few hundred people queuing up outside hoping to get a ticket.

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    Mute Brian Moran
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    Jan 16th 2018, 5:04 PM

    @Brian Brogan: Yes it was recorded.

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    Mute FrankDapavia
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    Jan 16th 2018, 9:51 AM

    Everyone loves him now.

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    Mute Sh Deburca
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    Jan 16th 2018, 11:07 AM

    Very well deserved. What a great night that must have been!

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    Mute Sh Deburca
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    Jan 16th 2018, 11:03 AM

    what a poet. Well deserved

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    Mute Johnhunky Dory
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    Jan 16th 2018, 2:50 PM

    who’s the guy dressed up as Johnny Depp?

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    Mute Johnhunky Dory
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    Jan 16th 2018, 2:50 PM

    @Johnhunky Dory: Oh… it IS Johnny Depp!!

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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Jan 16th 2018, 8:16 PM

    @Johnhunky Dory: Bah humbug, I like Johnny Depp…

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    Mute Quentin Moriarty
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    Jan 16th 2018, 8:27 PM

    @Johnhunky Dory: don’t think he will offering to blast Shane out of a canon when he goes .
    Thompson cost him a packet

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    Mute Alan Phillips
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    Jan 17th 2018, 6:30 AM

    When he was good he was very good, the music industry,it’s not for the faint hearted

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