Ireland’s fresh abortion law could be named after Savita Halappanavar: Report

Days after Ireland passed a historic verdict in favour of changing its 'inhuman' anti-abortion law in a referendum, pro-reform campaigners of the country said they will support a move to have a law named after Savita Halappanavar, a 31-year-old Indian doctor who died in the country after being denied an abortion in 2012, MSN reported.

Halappanavar's Karnataka-based father, 72-year-old Andanappa Yalagi, who said that her daughter got "justice" with the passing of the historic verdict, told Irish Times that the new anti-abortion law should be named 'Savita's law' after his deceased daughter, MSN reported. He said it was their "one last request".

On Sunday, May 28, an umbrella organisation called 'Together for Yes' representing pro-repeal organisations said it would back the move to have a new law named after Halappanavar, the MSN report added. It also urged the government to begin working on the legislation immediately after the referendum verdict was passed. Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar called the verdict the "culmination of a quiet revolution".

Ireland's Health Minister Simon Harris will seek the cabinet's approval for the draft legislation, allowing abortion on request up to the 12th week of pregnancy and under limited circumstances, up to the 23rd week, the MSN report further added. Varadkar himself also expressed hope that the new law on abortion will be enacted by the end of this year.

Halappanavar was admitted to University Hospital Galway on October 21, 2012, when she was 17 weeks pregnant with her first baby. The doctors concluded that a miscarriage was unavoidable but refused to intervene despite requests from Halappanavar and her husband for an abortion as the country's law did not allow it. Halappanavar's condition deteriorated and she was diagnosed with an infection and subsequent septic shock. She died on October 28 and her dead resulted in a massive uproar - nationally as well as internationally and it led to a movement to repeal the eighth amendment which prohibited abortion.