The wording of the Eighth Amendment reads as follows: “The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right”.
This is a declaration to respect, defend and vindicate the equal right to life of a mother and her unborn child.
It enshrines in Irish law a deep conviction that every human life is precious, equal and worth cherishing.