Ireland Abortion Referendum (2018)
Ireland votes to repeal the Eighth Amendment of their constitution that prohibits abortion in all but a few cases, choosing to replace it with the Thirty-sixth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland.
Background
The Eighth Amendment to the Irish Constitution, inserted by referendum in 1983, stated that the State acknowledged “the right to life of the unborn” with “equal right to life of the mother.” In practice, this banned abortion in almost all circumstances, even in cases of rape, incest, or fatal foetal abnormality. Women who needed abortions traveled to England — an estimated 3,500 per year. High-profile cases, including the death of Savita Halappanavar in 2012 — a dentist who died of sepsis after being denied a life-saving abortion — intensified public debate and calls for change.
Did You Know?
The 2018 Irish referendum had a turnout of over 64 percent. Almost 100,000 people living abroad registered to vote, with many flying home to cast their ballots in what became known as the #HomeToVote campaign. The “Yes” vote won in 40 of 43 constituencies.
The Vote
Following a recommendation by a Citizens' Assembly in 2017, the Irish government put the question to voters on May 25, 2018: whether to repeal the Eighth Amendment. The result was a decisive “Yes,” with 66.4% voting in favor of repeal and 33.6% against — the largest winning margin for any referendum in Irish constitutional history. The “No” campaign focused on protecting the rights of the unborn; the “Yes” campaign featured personal testimonies from women affected by the abortion ban.
Impact
President Michael D. Higgins signed the Thirty-sixth Amendment into law on September 18, 2018. The Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018, enacted subsequently, came into force on January 1, 2019, legalizing abortion in Ireland up to 12 weeks. The result marked a profound shift in Irish society, reflecting the declining influence of the Catholic Church and the growing weight of younger, more secular voters. Ireland's 2015 marriage equality referendum and the 2018 abortion referendum together signaled a new direction for the country.