President Michael D Higgins called on people to participate in the upcoming Convention on the Constitution during his inaugural address at Dublin Castle today. The convention was party of the Labour party manifesto and became part of the Programme for Government. One of the areas the convention will examine is the section of the Constitution...
Twelve nurses employed at a hospital run by the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) are suing the facility, claiming that the hospital is forcing nurses to assist in abortions. This is despite the fact that US Federal law prohibits hospitals that receive certain federal funds from forcing employees to participate in...
The highest court in the UK has “blurred” the distinction between cohabitation and marriage in its latest ruling, a family law expert has said. The British Supreme Court ruled yesterday that a man who left his partner 20 years ago is entitled to a 10pc share of the value of their home, while his former...
The number of cases of treatment for alcohol abuse has risen by more than 40pc in the past six years, according to a new report by the Health Research Board. And the number of instances of those aged 18 and under being treated rose by an alarming 145pc, the figures showed. According to the report,...
A majority (52pc) of Democrat voters in the US say they seldom or never go to church, according to new data published by Gallup yesterday. However, 27pc say they go weekly and another 20pc say they go once a month or more. The Gallup poll also shows that 40 percent of Republicans say they go...
In a major break with tradition, the inauguration of Michael D Higgins (pictured) is set to have a “humanist element”, according to a report in the Irish Times. A source told the paper that there would be a “humanist reflection” in addition to the usual prayers. This will be the first time such a thing...
It is wrong to equate marriage and cohabitation, a leading member of the UK Government has said. The Secretary for Work and Pensions, and former Tory Party leader, Iain Duncan Smith, said that the Coalition government should fight to protect the traditional family, which he called ‘the most vital part of society’. Mr Duncan Smith...
Grandparents can damage the children of divorcing couples by increasing conflict between couples, according to a UK family law adviser to the government. David Norgrove, the chairman of an official review on family justice which was published on Thursday, said some couples used their parents as a “weapon” during contested divorce cases, according to a...
Sexual activity among US teens has seen a significant fall in the last two decades, according to a new report. Figures from the Centre for Disease Control published last month show that, from 1988 to 2006-2010, the percentage of never-married males aged 15-19 who reported ever having sexual intercourse dropped from 60pc to 42pc. Among...
Austria’s law banning the use of donor eggs for In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is not in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights has ruled. In practice, the decision also permits countries to ban the use of donor sperm. The decision has been hailed by...
