UK government commissions abortion services in Northern Ireland

5 DEC 2022
Irish Legal News
The UK government has formally commissioned abortion services in Northern Ireland after the continued failure of the devolved Department of Health to do so.

Northern Ireland secretary Chris Heaton-Harris wrote to the Department following the UK government’s announcement in October that it would step in to ensure that access to safe high-quality abortion and post-abortion care is available.

Continued: https://www.irishlegal.com/articles/uk-government-commissions-abortion-services-in-northern-ireland

05.12.2022

commissioning abortion services

early medical abortion

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Relief and sorrow: Reactions after UK government moves on abortion capacity in Northern Ireland

Campaigners and the Catholic Church have given their reactions after the UK government instructed the NI Department of Health to move ahead with providing abortion services in all Trusts across the north of Ireland.

By Brendan McDaid
Dec 5, 2022

The Department of Health said it “acknowledges the legal requirements placed on it by the Secretary of State and has been working closely with the Northern Ireland Office on the planned commissioning of abortion services in Northern Ireland.”

The legal instruction on commissioning and the ring fencing of funding will mean that HSC Trusts will have the “necessary resources to ensure a full range of abortion services will be available in NI, including putting in place the necessary staffing and training required” the statement issued said.

Continued: https://www.derryjournal.com/news/people/relief-and-sorrow-reactions-after-uk-government-moves-on-abortion-capacity-in-northern-ireland-3941645

N. Ireland – Abortion: Full NI service to be set up after delays

Dec 2, 2022
By Jayne McCormack, BBC News NI political correspondent

A permanent abortion service is now being commissioned in Northern Ireland, the government has announced.

The move comes three years after MPs voted to change Northern Ireland's abortion laws while devolution was suspended. Setting up full services has been held up due to political deadlock.

Continued: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-63833719

03.12.2022

commissioning abortion services

Democrat Unionist Party

UK government to fund abortion services in Northern Ireland

Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris is commissioning state-funded abortion services across Northern Ireland, after the region fails to provide support for women

October 25, 2022

The U.K. parliament decriminalised abortion in Northern Ireland in 2019, and now in 2022, they have begun funding these procedures for women and girls.

This move demonstrates how the Democratic Unionists have lost a key political standpoint topic in local government, where the support for abortion rights defies many of the Protestant evangelical beliefs of Northern Ireland, which formerly kept abortion illegal.

Continued: https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/abortion-nothern-ireland-uk-government-law/146465/

25.10.2022

commissioning abortion services

Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women

NI secretary can direct establishment of abortion services, judge rules

Anti-abortion group claimed only elected representatives in North should decide on issue

Tue, Feb 8, 2022,
Alan Erwin

The Northern Ireland secretary has the legal authority to direct the establishment of abortion services in the region, a judge as ruled at Belfast High Court.

Mr Justice Colton rejected a challenge by the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) to Brandon Lewis’ powers to impose a deadline on Stormont for putting in place a centralised system.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/ni-secretary-can-direct-establishment-of-abortion-services-judge-rules-1.4796919

08.02.2022

Featured

News

Brandon Lewis

commissioning abortion services

Justice Colton

NI Human Rights Commission

Society for the Protection of Unborn Children

SPUC

UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women

Abortion protests take place in Belfast amid deepening political row

Pro-choice councillor says any move to block rollout of services is ‘against democracy’

July 31, 2021

Pro-choice and anti-abortion campaigners have held separate protests in Belfast amid the deepening political row over the commissioning of abortion services in Northern Ireland.

The small-scale demonstrations in the city centre came after DUP First Minister Paul Givan threatened to block the British government’s move to formally direct Stormont to fully roll out abortion services in the region.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/abortion-protests-take-place-in-belfast-amid-deepening-political-row-1.4636154

Britain orders Northern Ireland to introduce full abortion services

‘This stalemate leaves me no choice,’ UK Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis tells Belfast leaders.

by SHAWN POGATCHNIK
July 22, 2021

The British government has ordered Northern Ireland’s coalition government to introduce full-fledged abortion services, more than a year after legislation passed in Westminster required this to happen.

Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis issued the order Thursday directing the U.K. region’s Department of Health and Health Minister Robin Swann to make Northern Ireland compliant with British abortion law.

Continued: https://www.politico.eu/article/britain-orders-northern-ireland-to-introduce-full-abortion-services/

22.07.2021

Featured

News

Brandon Lewis

commissioning abortion services

Democratic Unionist Party

Robin Swann

Stormont

travelling to England

Abortion in NI: Westminster directs Stormont to set up services

By Jayne McCormack, BBC News NI political correspondent
July 22, 2021

Westminster has directed Stormont's Department of Health to set up full abortion services in Northern Ireland by no later than next March.

The government has intervened with a formal direction requiring Stormont to act.

Continued: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-57921537

Abortion in NI: Delays to introducing full services ‘deeply troubling’, court hears

By Jayne McCormack, BBC News NI Political Reporter
May 26, 2021

Delays in implementing Northern Ireland's abortion laws have been a "deeply troubling exercise in finger-pointing", a court has heard.

Abortion became legal in 2020, following a vote by MPs during the collapse of devolution.

Stormont has since been under pressure to establish a permanent, central abortion service, but this has not happened yet.

Continued: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-57248241

26.05.2021

commissioning abortion services

David Blundell

NI Human Rights Commission

N. Ireland – Papers lodged in legal challenge against abortion regulations

Published 24 May 2021

Pro-life campaigners have formally lodged proceedings in Belfast against regulations giving the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland powers to direct the commissioning of abortion services.

Belfast law firm Hewitt & Gilpin has been instructed by the Centre for Bioethical Reform Northern Ireland (CBRNI) and the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) to mount a challenge to the Abortion (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2021.

Continued: https://www.irishlegal.com/article/papers-lodged-in-legal-challenge-against-abortion-regulations

24.05.2021