Disability rights groups ‘need to speak up over new abortion law’

Dawn McAvoy of Both Lives Matter was reacting to the fact that the new rules on abortion – slated to take effect on Tuesday – permit terminations with no time limit in cases where the foetus shows signs of being disabled.

Although the vast bulk of abortions happen before the third trimester, the wording of the government’s guidelines technically allows for terminations to be carried out up until the point of birth in Northern Ireland.

They are being imposed via Westminster, thanks to a law passed by MPs there last year.

The new rules are as follows:

• Abortion for any reason up to 12 weeks;

• Abortion up to 24 weeks when “continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk of injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman or girl, greater than the risk of terminating the pregnancy”;

• And abortions with no time limit “to prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman or girl” – and in cases where the foetus has “a mental or physical disability which is likely to significantly limit either the length or quality of the child’s life”.

Whilst allowing abortion on these grounds, the government has indicated it opposes “stereotypes towards persons with disabilities”.

Mrs McAvoy, co-founder of Both Lives Matter, said however “those preborn babies with disability will face increased discrimination, with abortion available right up to birth”.

She went on to add: “Where are those voices who campaign for rights for the disabled person? Why are they silent?”

The News Letter has been seeking comment about the new abortion rules from a trio of disability charities since last week.

However, none of the charities – Disability Action, Disability Sport NI, and the Cedar Foundation – had offered any at time of writing.

The Cedar Foundation said “we will not be making a comment this time”.

Disability Sport said “whilst we are deeply passionate about our work and everyone that we work with, as an organisation we will only be able to comment on sports-related inquiries as this is where our policy knowledge and skillset lies”.

No response had been received from Disability Action.

Mrs McAvoy added the timing of the law change is “incredibly distasteful” because it comes in “the shadow of a struggling health service and quite literally in the wake of loss of life due to a global pandemic”.