Alison Davis, the well-known pro-life disabled rights advocate, is heading a challenge to July's House of Lords judgment in favour of Debbie Purdy, the assisted suicide campaigner. SPUC supporters will know Alison well through her many years as co-ordinator of No Less Human, a group within SPUC representing the disabled. The House of Lords judgment in favour of Debbie Purdy has now led to the director of public prosecutions (DPP) drafting guidance which undermines the right to life of disabled people. The DPP is conducting a public consultation on the draft guidance, which closes next Wednesday (16 December). SPUC has produced a briefing http://is.gd/5lE9O to help you respond to the consultation. [John Smeaton, 10 December] http://is.gd/5liau
A youth vigil was held on Wednesday outside the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, as the court considered a challenge to Ireland's constitutional protection of unborn children. Young people representing Ireland, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Hungary, and Romania held placards outside the court reading: "Europe needs children not abortion", "Hands off Ireland's pro-life laws" and "Abortion kills children". The vigil was organised by Liam Gibson of SPUC Northern Ireland. The court is considering the A, B, & C v Ireland case, which the Irish pro-abortion lobby is using to claim that Ireland's ban on abortion violates the European Convention on Human Rights. [SPUC, 9 December] http://is.gd/5lihE
Other stories:
Planned Parenthood caught on tape lying about pre-natal development [LifeSiteNews.com, 9 December] http://is.gd/5lk9u
Over two-thirds of all US abortion clinics have closed since 1991 [LifeSiteNews.com, 8 December] http://is.gd/5lk43
Colombia's Inspector General demands morning-after pill be taken off market [LifeSiteNews.com, 8 December] http://is.gd/5ljgt
Over 5,000 under-20s had abortions in 2008 in England [John Smeaton, 7 December] http://is.gd/5li68
India woman dies from botched legal abortion at hospital, third death this year [LifeNews.com, 2 December] http://is.gd/5liW3
Population boom is a "spectre" says UK home secretary [Times, 9 December] http://is.gd/5lE6Q
Teenage girls to get contraceptive pill in pilot scheme [BBC, 11 December] http://is.gd/5lhDR
Belgian doctor cleared of murder charges after euthanizing 88-year-old, non-terminally-ill woman [LifeSiteNews.com, 9 December] http://is.gd/5ljZj
Paralysed rugby player offers encouraging example [John Smeaton, 3 December] http://is.gd/5lhYS