Women and girls from the North in need of abortion being treated as ‘second-class citizens’

Wednesday, November 02, 2016, Irish Examiner

Women and girls in need of abortion services in the North are being treated as "second-class citizens", the UK's highest court has heard.

British Supreme Court justices were told of their "healthcare plight" at the start of the latest round of a legal battle by a teenager and her mother for those resident in Northern Ireland to receive free abortions on the NHS in England.

Stephen Cragg QC, for the mother and daughter, told the court at a hearing in London on Wednesday: "Women and girls in need of abortion services in Northern Ireland are in an anomalous position.

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Source: Irish Examiner


UK Supreme Court asked to rule on abortion funding for Northern Ireland residents

Tue Nov 1, 2016 | 8:06pm EDT, Reuters

Women's rights groups are to ask the British Supreme Court on Wednesday to compel the government to fund abortions for Northern Ireland residents traveling to England to avoid some of the most restrictive abortion laws in Europe.

While the National Health Service routinely provides free abortions to women in most of the United Kingdom, abortion is only permitted in the British province of Northern Ireland when a woman’s life is at risk or if there is a risk of permanent and serious damage to her mental or physical health.

Last year just 16 abortions were carried out in Northern Ireland but women's rights groups estimate that around 1,000 women travel to Britain each year for terminations, which they must finance themselves along with travel and other costs.

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Source: Reuters