Ireland & Abortion Rights

DUBLIN (AP) - Three women have contended in a lawsuit that the Irish government has violated the human rights of pregnant women by forcing them to travel abroad for abortions and denying them appropriate medical care at home. The three women took the case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, on Wednesday. A verdict is expected next year. If they win, the women could force Ireland - one of only a handful of European countries that still outlaws abortion - to liberalize a system that inspires more than 7,000 women annually to travel to other European countries, chiefly England, for abortions. But the Irish government has fielded a high-powered legal team to defend its health policies.