Mellet v. Ireland: Ireland must legalize abortion to end violations of women’s human rights

In June 2016, the United Nations Human Rights Committee issued a groundbreaking decision in the case of Mellet v. Ireland. The Committee held that by prohibiting and criminalizing abortion, and thereby preventing Ms. Mellet from accessing abortion services in Ireland, the state subjected her to severe emotional and mental pain and suffering. As a result, Ireland violated her rights to freedom from cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, privacy, and equality before the law. In this factsheet we highlight the key aspects of this groundbreaking decision.