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PR: Curing Cancer and More
15.02.2009
Expert tells UCC that it is Adult Stem Cells that are saving lives
Youth Defence today strongly criticised the High Court’s ruling that three human embryos were not “unborn” as defined under the Irish constitution. In a statement earlier today Youth Defence spokesperson Mr Eoghan de Faoite said that the term ‘unborn’ is not an ambiguous or uncertain term but very specific and includes all life that is yet to be born, including the pre-implanted embryo.
“Of course the term ‘unborn’ should be applied to the pre-implanted human embryo, regardless the location of that embryo. The embryo in-vitro is characteristically the very same as the embryo in-vivo and therefore should be afforded the same legal status. It’s nonsensical to afford rights to one and no rights to the other just because it’s in a different location”.
Youth Defence also pointed to the fact that there is no dispute over when human life begins; it is a matter of empirical evidence that human life begins at conception and must be protected from that moment. The only people who try to confuse this issue are those who work within the industry of embryo experimentation and manipulation.
Mr de Faoite also criticised the judgement of Mr Justice Brian McGovern saying that he completely misinterpreted the 1983 amendment to the constitution.
“The Irish people voted for the amendment in 1983 to protect the life of the unborn and this meant protection from the moment of conception. It is outrageous to suggest that the intention of the voters was to only protect the unborn child from a certain stage of development. Mr McGovern has clearly misinterpreted this amendment”
Responding to the comments of Mr McGovern on the possibility of holding a referendum to determine when human life begins, Youth Defence drew attention to the abortion referendum of 2002 which asked the people to limit protection for the unborn by protecting the post-implanted embryo only.
Eoghan de Faoite concluded, “The debate surrounding the abortion referendum of 2002 centred on the fact that constitutional protection for the unborn child would have been restricted to the post-implanted human embryo should this amendment have been passed. The Irish people rejected this amendment for that reason which clearly indicates that absolutely no mandate exists for limiting the right to life of the unborn”.
End
