Court: Medics fear life imprisonment over restrictive NI abortion laws

Court: Medics fear life imprisonment over restrictive NI abortion laws

Friday, October 05, 2018

Northern Ireland’s restrictive abortion laws have left medics fearing life imprisonment, a court heard.

They have had a chilling effect on doctors, a lawyer for a woman forced to travel to England for a termination for a fatal foetal abnormality said.

Continued: https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/court-medics-fear-life-imprisonment-over-restrictive-ni-abortion-laws-873902.html


Fresh legal challenge lodged against abortion laws in Northern Ireland

Fresh legal challenge lodged against abortion laws in Northern Ireland

Monday, October 01, 2018

A fresh legal challenge against Northern Ireland’s restrictive abortion laws has been mounted.

Sarah Ewart is applying for a judicial review, seeking a declaration of incompatibility with human rights law in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities.

Five years ago, Ms Ewart travelled from Northern Ireland for a termination in England after a 20-week scan revealed her baby had anencephaly, which meant its brain and skull had not developed and it would either die before being born or shortly afterwards.

Continued: https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/fresh-legal-challenge-lodged-against-abortion-laws-in-northern-ireland-872700.html


Northern Ireland abortion laws must not be changed in Westminster, says Karen Bradley

Northern Ireland abortion laws must not be changed in Westminster, says Karen Bradley
Karen Bradley insisted that people in the north do not want MPs making decisions on abortion laws

12 June, 2018

WESTMINSTER politicians are not qualified to change abortion laws for Northern Ireland, the secretary of state has said.

Karen Bradley insisted that people in the north do not want MPs making decisions on whether to overhaul the existing regime, as she explained the UK government's reluctance to intervene.

She said it was another example of why the Stormont executive needed to be reformed.

Continued: https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2018/06/12/news/northern-ireland-abortion-laws-must-not-be-changed-in-westminster-says-karen-bradley-1353442/


UK – Stella Creasy’s abortion law campaign showed practical politics at its best

Stella Creasy’s abortion law campaign showed practical politics at its best
Courteous, attentive and largely free of partisan posturing, the debate on Northern Ireland’s law was a triumph of cross-party collaboration

Helen Lewis
Sun 10 Jun 2018

The most striking moment in politics last week was not David Davis’s fifth (unfulfilled) threat to resign. Nor was it Boris Johnson’s latest (unpunished) violation of collective responsibility. It wasn’t even the spectacle of hours of intense cabinet psychodrama finally resulting in a customs proposal that was instantly shot down by the EU’s chief negotiator. In Brexitland, a lot happens – but very little changes.

No, the week’s most interesting political event came late on Monday, when the Speaker, John Bercow, asked if he had “the leave of the House” to grant Labour backbencher Stella Creasy an emergency debate on Northern Irish abortion law. In silence, the vast majority of the MPs present in the Commons stood up – and the debate was granted. Supporters of the motion included the new minister for women, Penny Mordaunt, and Karen Bradley, the secretary of state for Northern Ireland.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jun/10/stella-creasy-abortion-law-campaign-practical-politics-at-its-best


U.K. Court Dismisses Challenge to Northern Ireland Abortion Law

U.K. Court Dismisses Challenge to Northern Ireland Abortion Law

By Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura and Richard Pérez-Peña
June 7, 2018

LONDON — Britain’s Supreme Court on Thursday struck down an attempt to overturn Northern Ireland’s restrictive laws on abortion over a legal technicality, barely two weeks after Ireland voted in a landslide to do away with similar rules.

But in an important caveat, Justice Brenda M. Hale, president of the court, said that a majority of the justices “are of the firm and clear opinion that the current law is incompatible with” the European Convention on Human Rights, to which Britain is a party.

Continued; https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/07/world/europe/uk-northern-ireland-abortion.html


Government under pressure over ‘incompatible’ Northern Ireland abortion law

Government under pressure over ‘incompatible’ Northern Ireland abortion law
Pro-choice campaigners demand action after Supreme Court judges say ban on terminations needs ‘radical reconsideration’.

June 7 2018

The Government is facing mounting pressure to reform abortion laws in Northern Ireland after Supreme Court judges said they were incompatible with human rights legislation.

Pro-choice campaigners demanded action after a majority of Supreme Court judges said the ban on terminations in cases of rape, incest or fatal foetal abnormality needed “radical reconsideration”.

Continued: https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/republic-of-ireland/government-under-pressure-over-incompatible-northern-ireland-abortion-law-36986743.html


Belfast woman to challenge NI abortion laws in High Court

Belfast woman to challenge NI abortion laws in High Court
Decision follows ruling by British supreme court on legality of situation in North

June 7, 2018
Amanda Ferguson

A Belfast woman who travelled to Britain for an abortion is to take a case to the High Court in her home city after campaigners lost a UK supreme court appeal over the legality of Northern Ireland’s abortion laws.

Supported by Amnesty International, Sarah Ewart, who travelled for an abortion after being told her baby would not survive, said she was seeking a formal declaration that the North’s laws on abortion were incompatible with human rights law.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/belfast-woman-to-challenge-ni-abortion-laws-in-high-court-1.3522595


Northern Ireland abortion law clashes with human rights, judges say

Northern Ireland abortion law clashes with human rights, judges say
Supreme court dismisses bid to overturn law but adds to pressure on politicians to act

Owen Bowcott Legal affairs correspondent
Thu 7 Jun 2018

Pressure is growing on the government to reform Northern Ireland’s restrictive abortion laws after the supreme court concluded that they are incompatible with human rights legislation.

Justices at the UK’s highest court dismissed a legal challenge by a narrow majority of four to three and said they had no jurisdiction to consider the latest case because there was no actual or potential victim of an unlawful act involved in it.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jun/07/supreme-court-dismisses-bid-to-overturn-northern-ireland-abortion-laws


UK government calls for Northern Ireland to consider abortion reforms

UK government calls for Northern Ireland to consider abortion reforms
Tuesday, 5 Jun 2018

Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley has said she personally backs abortion reform but the Northern Assembly must be restored to consider the issue to avoid disenfranchising 1.8 million people in the UK.

She confirmed that if abortion came before the House of Commons in London, a free vote would take place, as it is a "matter of conscience".

Continued: https://www.rte.ie/news/uk/2018/0605/968195-oapa/


UK – MPs emergency debate on abortion in Northern Ireland – ‘inappropriate’ for Westminster to intervene, says Karen Bradley

Live updates: MPs emergency debate on abortion in Northern Ireland - 'inappropriate' for Westminster to intervene, says Karen Bradley

June 5 2018

MPs are debating repealing sections of a 150-year-old law that criminalises abortion.

The emergency debate will discuss repealing parts of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 on Tuesday following an application from Labour MP Stella Creasy.

It follows last month's landslide vote in Ireland to liberalise its termination laws.

Continued https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/live-updates-mps-emergency-debate-on-abortion-in-northern-ireland-inappropriate-for-westminster-to-intervene-says-karen-bradley-36979241.html