Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013

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Interpretation

2. (1) In this Act—

“Act of 2007” means the Medical Practitioners Act 2007 ;

“Act of 2011” means the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011 ;

“appropriate institution” means—

(a) an institution that is specified in the Schedule , or

(b) an institution that is specified in an order under section 3 ;

“approved centre” has the meaning it has in section 63 of the Mental Health Act 2001 ;

“certification” means a section 7 certification, section 8 certification, section 9 certification or section 13 certification, and includes a copy of any such certification;

“certifying obstetrician”, in relation to a certification, means the obstetrician who made the certification;

“Executive” means the Health Service Executive;

“general practitioner”, in relation to a pregnant woman, means a medical practitioner who provides a general practitioner medical service to the pregnant woman;

“medical practitioner” means a medical practitioner who is for the time being registered in the register;

“medical procedure” includes the prescribing, by a medical practitioner, of any drug or medical treatment;

“medical speciality” means a medical speciality recognised by the Medical Council under section 89 of the Act of 2007;

“mental health services” has the meaning it has in the Mental Health Act 2001 ;

“midwife” means a person whose name is for the time being registered in the midwives division of the register of nurses and midwives established under section 46 of the Act of 2011;

“Minister” means the Minister for Health;

“nurse” means a person whose name is for the time being registered in the nurses division of the register of nurses and midwives established under section 46 of the Act of 2011;

“obstetrician” means an obstetrician and gynaecologist;

“obstetrician and gynaecologist” means a medical practitioner who is registered in the Specialist Division of the register under the medical speciality of “Obstetrics and Gynaecology”;

“pregnant woman”, in relation to a review, means the pregnant woman to whom the review relates;

“prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made under section 4 ;

“psychiatrist” means a medical practitioner who is registered in the Specialist Division of the register under a medical speciality of “Psychiatry”;

“register” means the register of medical practitioners established under section 43 of the Act of 2007;

“relevant decision” shall be construed in accordance with section 10 ;

“relevant speciality”, in relation to a medical practitioner and his or her assessment of the risk of the loss of a pregnant woman’s life, means a medical speciality—

(a) in respect of which the medical practitioner is registered in the Specialist Division of the register, and

(b) relevant to the care or treatment of the physical illness in respect of which the risk of such loss arises;

“review” means a review under section 13 of a relevant decision;

“review committee”, in relation to a relevant decision, means the committee established under section 12 (1) to review that decision;

“review panel” means the panel established under section 11 (1);

“ section 7 certification” means a certification referred to in section 7 (1)(a);

“ section 8 certification” means a certification referred to in section 8 (2);

“ section 9 certification” means a certification referred to in section 9 (1)(a);

“ section 13 certification” means a certification referred to in section 13 (3);

“unborn”, in relation to a human life, is a reference to such a life during the period of time commencing after implantation in the womb of a woman and ending on the complete emergence of the life from the body of the woman;

“woman” means a female person of any age.

(2) A section 13 certification shall be deemed to be—

(a) a section 7 certification where section 12 (2) applies, and

(b) a section 9 certification where section 12 (3) applies,

and the other provisions of this Act shall be construed accordingly.

(3) A reference in this Act to physical illness includes a reference to a physical injury but does not include a reference to suicide.