X Case

Attorney General v X
CourtSupreme Court of Ireland
Full case name The Attorney General v. X. and Others
Decided5 March 1992
CitationsAttorney General v X [1992] IESC 1, [1992] 1 IR 1
Case history
Appealed fromAttorney General v X (High Court) 17 February 1992
Court membership
Judges sittingThomas Finlay, Niall McCarthy, Hugh O'Flaherty, Séamus Egan, Anthony Hederman
Case opinions
Under Article 40.3.3° of the Constitution, termination of pregnancy is only permissible where there is a "real and substantial risk to the life of the mother", including a real and substantial risk of suicide. To require there to be a risk of immediate or inevitable death would not adequately vindicate the right to life of the mother.
Decision byFinlay
ConcurrenceMcCarthy, O'Flaherty, Egan
DissentHederman
Keywords

Attorney General v X [1992] 1 IR 1 (more commonly known as the "X Case") was a judgment of the Irish Supreme Court which established the right of Irish women to an abortion if a pregnant woman's life was at risk because of pregnancy, including the risk of suicide.