What I find interesting about this debate is that we've never actually had a referendum on abortion that would have really introduced abortion.
1983 Referendum:
- 8th amendment - passed 64%
- Introduced article 40.3.3 "The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right. "
- Triggered a high court judgement respecting privacy in marital affairs that worried William Binchy & Des Hanafin, who were pro-life.
1992 Referendum:
- 12th amendment - rejected 65%
- Proposed adding "It shall be unlawful to terminate the life of an unborn unless such termination is necessary to save the life, as distinct from the health, of the mother where there is an illness or disorder of the mother giving rise to a real and substantial risk to her life, not being a risk of self-destruction. "
- Triggered by the X case - aim was to define suicide risk as not justification for abortion.
- 13th amendment - passed 62%
- Added "This subsection shall not limit freedom to travel between the State and another state."
- 14th amendment - passed 60%
- Added "This subsection shall not limit freedom to obtain or make available, in the State, subject to such conditions as may be laid down by law, information relating to services lawfully available in another state."
- Ending the practise where back pages with ads for UK family planning clinics were omitted from or cut from magazines.
2002 Referendum:
- 25th amendment - rejected 50.42%
- Proposed adding article 40.3.4 "In particular the life of the unborn in the womb shall be protected in accordance with the provisions of the Protection of Human Life in Pregnancy Act 2002."
- Act would have introduced penalties for performing or assisting in abortion and defined suicide as not being sufficient grounds.