A tough job: recognizing access to abortion as a matter of equality. A commentary on the views of the UN Human Rights Committee in the cases of Mellet v. Ireland and Whelan v. Ireland

Abstract This paper comments on the views of the UN Human Rights Committee (hereafter the Committee) in the cases Mellet v. Ireland [1] and Whelan v. Ireland [2]. It focuses on the Committee’s findings regarding a violation of the prohibition of discrimination. The interpretation presented by the Committee, although much welcomed and undeniably tackling reproductive health and rights in a progressive way, still leaves room for future improvements. It is argued herein that the Committee’s reasoning is marked by some inaccuracies due to its inconsistent approach regarding gender equality. Whereas the Committee seems to have fully integrated a “substantive equality” approach when providing general interpretation of States’ obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (hereafter the ICCPR), its assessment of individual cases remains to some extent influenced by the “formal equality” approach.