LifeZine No. 553: 2nd Jan 08
Irish Attorney General Says Priorities for Legal Review to Include Bioethics
Reviewing the law relating to aspects of bioethics and assisted human reproduction will be among the priorities of the Law Reform Commission's (LRC) latest programme, according to Ireland’s Attorney General. Paul Gallagher recently launched the third programme of law reform by the Law Reform Commission, containing its plan of work up to the year 2014. The president of the commission, Mrs Justice Catherine McGuinness, had earlier mentioned the interdisciplinary work of the LRC. The Attorney General stressed that this was especially apposite in relation to the legal aspects of bioethics. "Developments in this area are fast moving", he said. "Recently we saw the turning of human skin cells into stem cells." Referring to the existing bioethics committee, he said that the Law Reform Commission would assist in its work. Another area requiring urgent attention was that of assisted human reproduction, the Attorney General noted. Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Population Surge in Ireland Leading to Maternity Care Crisis
The lives of mothers and infants are being put at risk because of staff shortages and inadequate facilities at our maternity hospitals, according to an “Irish Times” report. What should be a time of joy and celebration for families may be blighted as a result of funding deficiencies and official inaction. Unless these shortcomings are addressed as a matter of urgency, the situation will worsen as Ireland’s population continues to expand. A shortage of staff and facilities within the maternity care system is threatening the welfare of patients. The Government has a “direct responsibility”, the report noted. Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Ban Proposed on Disability Abortions in UK
An amendment that would remove foetal abnormality as a ground for abortion has been tabled in the UK’s House of Lords. Baroness Masham of Ilton, who is disabled, has proposed the amendment to the British government's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill in order to remove the discrimination that allows babies with anomalies to be aborted up to birth, whereas there is a time limit of 24 weeks for able-bodied babies. The Times. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Keyhole Surgery Saves Babies in Womb
Equipment that will enable doctors to perform keyhole surgery on unborn babies is to be installed at the Queen Mother's Hospital in Glasgow, Scotland. The fibre-optic foetoscope can be used to diagnose a number of foetal complications, and to facilitate corrective surgery. At the moment mothers have to travel to London for this treatment. Scotland on Sunday. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Pope Dedicates World Day Message to Family
By looking to the family as the prototype of every social order, humanity can learn how to achieve peace, said Pope Benedict XVI. The Pope affirmed this in his message for the World Day of Peace celebrated January 1, 2008. The Holy Father dedicated his message to the theme "The Human Family, a Community of Peace," and drew from the example of the family founded on a marriage between a man and a woman as a model for establishing peace among all peoples. "The family is the foundation of society for this reason too: because it enables its members in decisive ways to experience peace", the Pontiff said. "It follows that the human community cannot do without the service provided by the family. Where can young people gradually learn to savour the genuine 'taste' of peace better than in the original 'nest' which nature prepares for them? The language of the family is a language of peace; we must always draw from it, lest we lose the 'vocabulary' of peace. Society cannot cease to refer to that 'grammar' which all children learn from the looks and the actions of their mothers and fathers, even before they learn from their words." Zenit. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Brazilian Government's National Health Conference Rejects Abortion
The Brazilian National Health Conference has rejected the legalisation of abortion. At least 70% of delegates voted against the proposal, in spite of the vague wording used. Eight years ago, the conference recommended the decriminalisation of abortion, and the reversal is attributed to the growing pro-life movement, which has the support of 60% of the population. LifeSite. CLICK TO READ MORE.....