“Last Chance to fight MAP Since Referendum Would Scrap Pre-implantation Embryo Rights”
DUBLIN, January 22, 2002 (LSN.ca) – The Irish pro-life group, Ireland for Life, has warned the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) it will launch a legal challenge against the false classification of the abortifacient morning-after pill (MAP) as a “contraceptive”. In order to skirt the country’s pro-life legislation and allow the MAP Levonelle, the IMB falsely classified the abortifacient as a “contraceptive” last October.
Ireland for Life gave the IMB three days to amend the classification or be faced with a legal challenge. The Irish Independent reports that last night a spokeswoman for IMB said it will “maintain its stance and stick to the decision taken in October on Levonelle.”
Ireland For Life spokeswoman Mary Thornton explained, “Although Levonelle can work as a contraceptive, it can also affect the womb lining so that the young embryo cannot implant. It is thus abortifacient.” Ireland For Life has also stated its opposition to the Government’s proposed amendment to the Constitution, which would define abortion as taking place after implantation rather than fertilisation. She warned that the current effort would likely be the last chance to fight the MAP since “If the referendum passed there would be no law vindicating the right to life of the pre-implantation embryo.”
A similar pro-life challenge in the Philippines was successful last month. On December 7, the Philippine Bureau of Food and Drugs of the Philippines de-listed the so-called morning-after pill, Levonorgestrel, from its Registry of Drug Products and directed the recall of all existing stocks in the country after finding that it is an abortive drug. Testimony from physicians, scientists, and the drug companies themselves proved the drug to be abortifacient.
See related LifeSite coverage: PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT BANS MORNING-AFTER PILL BECAUSE IT CAUSES ABORTIONS https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2002/jan/020104.html#1
See the coverage in the Irish Independent: https://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9&si=675515&issue_id=6758