The State has filed a notice of appeal against a significant High Court judgment which found the word "unborn" in the Constitution means an unborn "child" with rights beyond the right to life.
The finding was made by Mr Justice Richard Humphreys in the context of an immigration case, but its significance may extend well beyond that.
The State also wants clarity on the extent of the constitutional rights of the "unborn" due to a number of apparently conflicting High Court judgments on that issue.
After some discussion in recent weeks involving the judge and lawyers for the parties involved, it was agreed the State did not require a certificate for leave to appeal before proceeding to file a notice of appeal with the Court of Appeal.
The appeal will now be managed in the appeal court's directions list and a hearing date will be fixed later.
