The unborn do not have constitutional rights except the right to life, and other rights such as the right to the care and company of a parent only take effect at birth, the Dublin supreme court has found, reports Irish broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann.

RTE reports:

The Supreme Court has ruled that the unborn has no rights under the Constitution other than the right to life in the Eighth Amendment, in a landmark case about the extent of the rights of the unborn.

The State had appealed a High Court finding that the unborn has constitutional rights beyond the right to life.

Chief Justice Mr Justice Frank Clarke said the judgment was lengthy and complex.

But he said it had been possible to reach consensus on the issue and the decision of the seven-judge court was unanimous.