The High Court has been asked to order a psychiatric assessment of a pregnant woman to establish if she is travelling out of the country for an abortion against her will.

The woman's boyfriend says his pregnant girlfriend is being brought to the UK against her will to have an abortion.

The court has been asked to legally prevent his girlfriend from leaving the jurisdiction for an abortion until it can be decided whether she is acting of her own free will.

The case has been adjourned until tomorrow to allow the woman to seek independent legal advice following her boyfriend's court application.

The couple are foreign nationals living in Ireland.

Legal representatives for the man seeking the injunction said he believed his girlfriend was being forced to undergo an abortion by her parents.

The Attorney General's office said the State does not have a role to play in the action as the rights involved are of a private nature and there is no move to prevent the young woman from travelling to terminate her pregnancy if that is her wish.

Following a constitutional amendment in 1992, it is legally permissiible for a woman to travel abroad from Ireland for an abortion.

The man's legal representatives asked that the woman and the unborn to have an assessment carried out by a  psychiatrist to see if she is acting of her own free will.