Northern Ireland Office may directly instruct trusts to offer abortion services

Exclusive: Brandon Lewis warns he will soon have ‘no alternative but to take further steps’ to ensure services are provided

Jessica Elgot Chief political correspondent
Wed 27 Oct 2021

Brandon Lewis could override the Northern Ireland executive and directly instruct the nation’s health trusts to provide abortion services, warning leaders in a leaked letter that the continued delay is unacceptable conduct in public office.

The Northern Ireland secretary wrote to the first minister, Paul Givan, and his deputy, Michelle O’Neill, warning he would soon “have no alternative but to take further steps to ensure that women and girls have access to abortion services as decided by parliament, and to which they have a right”.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/oct/27/northern-ireland-office-may-directly-instruct-trusts-to-offer-abortion-services

27.10.2021

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Woman with Down’s syndrome loses UK abortion law case

Heidi Crowter has argued allowing terminations up to birth if foetus has Down’s syndrome is discriminatory

Alexandra Topping and agencies – The Guardian
Thu 23 Sep 2021

A woman with Down’s syndrome who took Sajid Javid to court over the UK’s abortion law has lost her case in the high court.

Heidi Crowter, who brought the case alongside Máire Lea-Wilson, whose son Aidan has Down’s syndrome, and a child with Down’s syndrome identified only as A, had argued that allowing pregnancy terminations up to birth if the foetus has Down’s syndrome is discriminatory and stigmatises disabled people.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/23/woman-with-downs-syndrome-loses-uk-abortion-law-case

23.09.2021

European Convention on Human Rights

European Court of Human Rights notifies Warsaw of 12 cases linked to abortion ban

By Hannah Somerville
Updated: 08/07/2021

The European Court of Human Rights has notified the Polish government of 12 separate cases being brought against it by Polish women over abortion rights.

A near-total ban abortions came into effect in Poland in January 2021, prompting mass protests in the country and condemnation from across the EU.

Continued: https://www.euronews.com/2021/07/08/european-court-of-human-rights-notifies-warsaw-of-12-cases-linked-to-abortion-ban

08.07.2021

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UK – Woman with Down’s syndrome takes Sajid Javid to court over abortion law

Heidi Crowter alongside Máire Lea-Wilson and her son Aidan argue the 1967 act is discriminatory

Haroon Siddique, Legal affairs correspondent
Tue 6 Jul 2021

Allowing pregnancy terminations up to birth if the foetus has Down’s syndrome is discriminatory and stigmatises disabled people, the high court has heard.

Heidi Crowter, a 26-year-old woman with Down’s syndrome from Coventry, Máire Lea-Wilson, 33, and her son Aidan, who has Down’s syndrome, who both live in Brentford, west London are challenging Sajid Javid over the Abortion Act 1967. The act sets a 24-week time limit for abortions unless there is “substantial risk” of the child being “seriously handicapped”.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/jul/06/downs-syndrome-sajid-javid-court-abortion-law-heidi-crowter

Abortion in Northern Ireland: at the interface between politics and law

22 March 2021
by Anurag Deb, UK Human Rights Blog

Abortion reform in Northern Ireland has had a fraught history, to say the least. Matters appeared to finally come to a head when in 2019, the UK Parliament enacted the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc.) Act 2019 (2019 Act), which created a duty on the Secretary of State to implement abortion reform by following the report of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination of Women (CtteEDAW). Nearly two years and two statutory instruments later, Stormont finds itself mired in fresh controversy as long-term abortion facilities in Northern Ireland have yet to be commissioned. So the obvious question arises: what happened?

Continued: https://ukhumanrightsblog.com/2021/03/22/abortion-in-northern-ireland-at-the-interface-between-politics-and-law/

Abortion: Westminster warns it is ready to intervene again over full access in NI

The London government has warned that it may intervene directly if abortions are not made more freely available in Northern Ireland soon.

By Adam Kula
Wednesday, 20th January 2021

Robin Walker MP, the minister for state for Northern Ireland, made the comments in the House of Commons as he was quizzed about the current law in the Province.

The whole issue dates back to summer 2019.

At that time MPs in Westminster passed a law which said if the Northern Irish devolved government was not restored by late October, then the London government would act to change the law on terminations, bypassing the NI Assembly altogether – a move which outraged anti-abortion groups.

Continued: https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/politics/abortion-westminster-warns-it-ready-intervene-again-over-full-access-ni-3107077

20.01.2021

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NI Human Rights Commission

Stormont: Brandon Lewis exceeded powers in introducing abortion regulations

Stormont: Brandon Lewis exceeded powers in introducing abortion regulations
Legal adviser says it is doubtful legislation gives adequate protection to those opposed

April 26, 2020

The Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis exceeded his powers in introducing abortion regulations, Stormont’s chief legal adviser has said.

It is doubtful whether the legislation gives adequate European Convention on Human Rights-based protection to the rights of those opposed on religious or philosophical grounds, attorney general John Larkin QC added.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/stormont-brandon-lewis-exceeded-powers-in-introducing-abortion-regulations-1.4238324

26.04.2020

European Convention on Human Rights

Sweden abortion: Nurses fail in European court case

Sweden abortion: Nurses fail in European court case

13 March 2020

Two nurses denied jobs as midwives in Sweden because of their refusal to perform abortions have lost their legal action against Sweden at the European Court of Human Rights.

Swedish-born Ellinor Grimmark and Linda Steen from Norway object to abortion because of their Christian faith.

Swedish law requires midwives to carry out abortions - and several Swedish courts ruled against the two women.

Continued: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51874119

Northern Ireland abortion law ruled to breach human rights

Northern Ireland abortion law ruled to breach human rights
High court in Belfast rules against Northern Ireland’s strict abortion law

Rory Carroll, Ireland correspondent
Thu 3 Oct 2019

Northern Ireland’s near-blanket abortion ban breaches the UK’s human rights commitments, the high court in Belfast has ruled.

The decision, on Thursday, was made following a case brought by Sarah Ewart, 29, who was denied a termination in 2013 despite a scan showing the foetus she was carrying would not survive.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/oct/03/northern-ireland-abortion-law-in-breach-of-human-rights-commitments

03.10.2019

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UK / SPAIN – The Court of Appeal upholds the legality of a buffer zone around a London abortion clinic

UK / SPAIN – The Court of Appeal upholds the legality of a buffer zone around a London abortion clinic

by International Campaign for Women's Right to Safe Abortion
Aug 23, 2019

The buffer zone around the clinic was imposed by the London council of Ealing in April 2018, but the call to impose national buffer zones around all clinics was rejected by the Conservative government’s Home Secretary in September 2018, in spite of the existence of strong evidence presented to him for imposing them.

This new judgment, handed down by Lady Justice Eleanor King and Lady Justice Nicola Davies is the first at appeal court level and provides solid case law for backing for other Public Spaces Protection Orders in the future.

Continued: https://www.safeabortionwomensright.org/uk-spain-the-court-of-appeal-upholds-the-legality-of-a-buffer-zone-around-a-london-abortion-clinic/