Landmark legal bid on Belfast abortion case to be heard in autumn

Lawyers for the pair claim it is inhuman to subject the woman to a criminal trial in Belfast.

They also contend that the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) decision breaches privacy rights in a case involving an unwanted pregnancy from an allegedly abusive relationship.

In the High Court Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan confirmed two days in October will be set aside for all submissions in the case.

Reporting restrictions have been imposed to protect the identities of both mother and daughter.

Their legal representatives are seeking to judicially review the PPS for pursuing a prosecution against the woman over procuring the abortion back in 2013.

Terminations are currently only legal here if the pregnant female’s life or long-term health is at serious risk.

In 2015 a High Court judge held that the failure to provide exceptions to the near-blanket ban for cases of fatal foetal abnormalities (FFAs) and victims of rape or incest breaches human rights legislation.

The outcome of an appeal against that ruling is still awaited.

Lawyers for the mother and daughter want the court to find it was wrong to prosecute and potentially criminalize the mother for behaviour that would be lawful in other parts of the UK.

Earlier this year they establishing they had an arguable case.

Judges were told the woman was faced with a situation where she believed her daughter could not cope with the pregnancy.