IT IS TO be another long day for Jerry Buttimer and his Oireachtas committee as they are due to hear from 11 legal experts during the third and final day of hearings on proposed abortion legislation.
The all-party committee has already received evidence from expert witnesses in the fields of medicine and psychiatry and will this morning take on board the testimonies of barristers at law, solicitors and a retired judge.
They will discuss the already published heads of the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill 2013 ahead of the committee’s end-of-month report to the government. It has been tasked with advising the Cabinet on the wording of the final legislation.
A number of guests in the Seanad chamber have already made their opinions and views on Ireland’s abortion laws public. Caroline Simons is a legal adviser to the Pro Life Campaign, while Simon Mills has provided the government with draft legislation which would allow for the inclusion of women who have been told their babies have fatal foetal abnormalities.
During the initial hearings in January, former Supreme Court judge Justice Catherine McGuinness – who is also due to appear today – did not offer any personal opinions on the subject but pleaded with lawmakers to look to the “middle ground” when making their decisions, and not those on either side who use “bullying tactics” to get their attention.
Today, each witness will have the opportunity to make an opening presentation and then will be asked questions (taken in bulk) from members of the committee and then other members of the Oireachtas who are in attendance.
Last to appear will be junior minister Alex White who will take questions from both committee and non-committee members. Minister James Reilly was criticised extensively on Friday for leaving the chamber before taking any questions.
Proceedings can be watched live on UPC Channel 207 and online at the Oireachtas website. They will also be streamed live on TheJournal.ie, where our reporters will also be live-blogging the details.
9.30am – noon: Medical Law
12.15pm – 2.45pm: Constitutional Law
3.30pm – 6pm: Medical Ethics
6.15pm – 8.45pm: Members Times/Closing Statements
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