Westminster urged to intervene to ensure NI access to abortion services

The Government has been urged to intervene over abortion services in Northern Ireland.
By The Newsroom
Published 29th Jan 2021, 06:00 BST
Pro abortion campaigner Adrianne Peltz and Patrick Corrigan of Amnesty International handing a 45,000-name petition - calling for abortion law reform in NI - in to Stormont in October 2016. Picture: Freddie Parkinson/Press EyePro abortion campaigner Adrianne Peltz and Patrick Corrigan of Amnesty International handing a 45,000-name petition - calling for abortion law reform in NI - in to Stormont in October 2016. Picture: Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye
Pro abortion campaigner Adrianne Peltz and Patrick Corrigan of Amnesty International handing a 45,000-name petition - calling for abortion law reform in NI - in to Stormont in October 2016. Picture: Freddie Parkinson/Press Eye

Terminations were legalised in the region following legislation at Westminster.

Individual health trusts have set up temporary early medical abortion pathways but Northern Ireland-wide abortion services have not yet been commissioned by the Department of Health.

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Legal action has been initiated by Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission chief Les Allamby over the situation.

Karin Smyth, shadow Northern Ireland minister, has written to the Secretary of State Brandon Lewis demanding that the Government takes action to ensure services are commissioned in Northern Ireland urgently.

The letter comes a short time after Northern Ireland minister Robin Walker told the House of Commons that he would “consider further legislative action” if services are not commissioned.

Ms Smyth said women and girls in Northern Ireland are being “denied their legal rights”.

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“Abortion services have not been commissioned or funded in Northern Ireland.

“Nor has any guidance to health and social care trusts on the provision of abortion services been issued,” she wrote in her letter to Mr Lewis.

“This is leaving vulnerable women and girls to use unsafe, unregulated services or travel to high-risk areas in the middle of this pandemic.

“This is cruel and everyday that passes denies women and girls a safe, local service.

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“Safe, legal abortions are the law of the land and these women and girls must have their rights upheld.

“I welcome the commitment of the minister, Robin Walker, to consider legislative action and that he stands ready to act.

“But I would stress that the situation is urgent, there is no reason to delay.

“We have a legal, and moral duty to act now and Labour will do all we can to support.”

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A near blanket ban on terminations in the region ended in 2019 when MPs intervened and voted through a law change.

Although the Stormont Assembly backed a motion that rejected the “imposition” of the new laws on the region, it had no impact on the legal status of the regulations and the guidelines that provide the legal framework for the provision of abortion services approved.

As of March 31 of last year, the government’s “new abortion framework” entered force in Northern Ireland, allowing:

• Abortion for any reason up to 12 weeks;

• Abortion up to 24 weeks “in cases where the 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”;

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• And abortions with no time limit “to prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman or girl”, in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities, and in cases of “severe fetal impairment”.