Airstrip One

Side-effects of the Constitution

The European Constitution includes many ill-defined and poorly constructed clauses, a Dangerous Dogs Act for the continent. One of these clauses is a prohibition on any act that could be construed as a eugenic practice.

The draft includes a new charter of fundamental rights, which has been declared non-negotiable. It requires the “prohibition of eugenic practices, particularly those aiming at the selection of persons”.

This has been noticed by anti-abortion groups who are now determined to enforce their morals on all through the law courts rather than through changes in law enacted by parliament as a liberal democracy would expect. They wish to obtain a ban on ante-natal testing and the abortion of severely handicapped children.

The morality of this issue is very problematic but the actiosn of Life and others demonstrate that the Constitution gives a green light to lobbies and interest groups to implement their agendas through the law courts bypassing the difficult path of public education and support. In the new EU, democracy is just a tiresome obstruction.

(4th November 2003, 23.07)