Drawing upon psychological and feminist theory to explore the notion of reproductive autonomy, central to my analysis is that its value lies in its instrumentality in fostering basic human needs and one’s sense of self. Exploring the value of reproductive autonomy by reference to human needs not only underpins the importance of that value, but also fleshes out ideas as to why protection of one’s physical integrity in the reproductive realm constitutes such an extreme situation, and is particularly commanding of our respect. Such an account is not only key to exploring important aspects of the nature and limits of the concept of reproductive autonomy, but also provides us with a promising and honest framework for addressing cases like Evans 2004, those involving third-party challenges to abortion decision-making, and perhaps most significantly of all, for reconciling these difficult cases with our equal respect for all reproductive desires, whether to reproduce or to avoid reproduction.
Women in the Irish Republic will have to be given the means to access legal abortions there if their lives are at risk, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled in a landmark judgment. The ruling, by the grand chamber of the Strasbourg court, can not be appealed and will require Ireland to legislate or otherwise set up a framework to decide whether there is a “real and substantial risk” to a woman’s life if she goes ahead with her pregnancy. The court held that the human rights of a woman with a rare cancer were violated when she was obliged to travel to the United Kingdom for an abortion and awarded her €15 000 (£12 700; $19 800) in compensation.