THE EXPERT GROUP on abortion’s report into the how Ireland should react to the European Court of Human Rights ruling in the A, B, and C versus Ireland case in 2010 has been published today.

The report has taken around eleven months to compile with the group having been announced in January of this year.

Made up of medical experts, lawyers, and officials from the Department of Health the group was tasked with setting out “options on how to implement the judgement” in the A,B, and C versus Ireland case.

In this case, the court found that there is a gap in the theory and implementation of the right to a lawful abortion in Ireland, a right given under the 1992 Supreme Court X Case ruling which provided for abortion for women when their lives are in danger, including from the risk of suicide.

The group’s report has been heavily leaked in recent days and sets out the four options to deal with the ECHR ruling, listing the advantages and disadvantages of each one.

The four options included are for the government to introduce 1) non-statutory guidelines 2) statutory regulations 3) legislation only 4) legislation plus regulations.