Irish Couple Battle Over Ownership of Frozen Embryos

Following her divorce, an Irish woman is taking her battle for control of three frozen embryos to Ireland’s High Court. The embryos were conceived during IVF treatments in 2001 and she and her then husband had a child after those treatments. The remaining three embryos were stored for future use, with both parties signing a joint consent form. The woman is now seeking to have the embryos thawed and implanted so she can have more children, however, her ex-husband has a new relationship and is unwilling to consent. Last week the European Court of Human Rights ruled against a woman in an identical situation.  Supporters of the woman contend that because Ireland’s constitution guarantees the right to life of an unborn child, that this factor makes the Irish case unique.  Source:  Gudrun Schultz, Lifesite.net. For the complete story, please click here (last visited March 15, 2006, reo).