Order detaining pregnant girl seeking abortion discharged
June 12, 2017
An Order detaining a pregnant child under Section 25 of the Mental Health Act 2001 was discharged by a District Court judge on the grounds that the child no longer had a mental health disorder in accordance with section 3 of the Mental Health Act.
The Order detaining the child was made several days earlier on the evidence of a consultant psychiatrist who reported that the child had a mental health disorder within the meaning of the Mental Health Act. The consultant psychiatrist was of the opinion that while the child was at risk of self harm and suicide as a result of the pregnancy, this could be managed by treatment and that termination of the pregnancy was not the solution for all of the child’s problems at that stage.
The application to discharge the order was made on behalf of the guardian ad litem (GAL) for the child who was appointed by the District Court judge in the course of making the order for detention. The GAL visited the young girl on several occasions and reported to the different judge hearing the discharge application that she did not wish to be detained and was extremely upset.
Continued at source: Childcare Law Project: https://www.childlawproject.ie/publications/order-detaining-pregnant-girl-seeking-abortion-discharged/