One of the most common accusations levelled against abortion restriction is the claim that if abortion is prohibited, a market for illegal unsafe “back alley” abortions will inevitably emerge. Therefore, abortion proponents argue, if women are going to get abortions anyway, it is better that they do so legally. While this argument has numerous flaws, one critical point has recently been upset by new research emerging from Chile which demonstrates that the number of illegal abortions actually fell when abortion was banned.
The Life Institute has called on the Coroner at the inquest into the death of Savita Halappanavar to hear from neutral expert obstetric witnesses on the impact of Irish law on necessary terminations of pregnancy, in order to ensure a balanced view is heard. Spokeswoman Niamh Uí Bhriain said that Dr Peter Boylan had a publicly stated position opposing abortion restrictions, and that it was crucial that Coroner, Dr Ciarán MacLoughlin, heard from other obstetricians who were neutral in relation to the law on abortion. Dr Boylan was also a member of an expert group which recommended the legalisation of abortion in Ireland.