Sir, – Fiona Gartland’s article, “Suicide key to legislation, forum hears” (January 17th), raises the issue of duplicity insofar as women may pretend to be suicidal in order to obtain an abortion.
Duplicity is a pervasive human trait and no one – including lawyers, psychiatrists, and pregnant women – is immune to it. The civil and criminal legal systems would be redundant if duplicity did not exist.
In the context of abortion legislation, Roe v Wade and Doe v Bolton, two cases decided by the United States Supreme Court in the summer of 1973, are clear examples of duplicity in the context of cases involving distressed pregnant women. In evidence, both complainants alleged to have been raped, allegations which were accepted in evidence by the court . Years later, these allegations were retracted by both complainants.
In the Irish context, concern with duplicity risks being a distraction: key issues for our nation are what value we place on human life at all stages, and how to cherish, nurture and protect it. – Yours, etc,