High Court in Belfast
The Guardian reports:
“A landmark legal ruling has found that the near outright ban on abortion in Northern Ireland is “incompatible with human rights”.”
“The judgment delivered on Monday at Belfast high court could lead to the relaxation of the law on abortion in the region.”
“The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has said the judge’s ruling may lead to women being allowed to have abortions in local hospitals in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities, rape and incest.”
“Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK where the 1967 Abortion Act does not apply.”
Northern Ireland law on abortion ruled as ‘incompatible with human rights’ (The Guardian)
Related: Human Rights Commission Welcomes Historic Termination of Pregnancy Ruling – 30.11.15 (NIHRC)
Pic: NIHRC
This is fantastic news. I hope that this means women from all over can travel there to access this care at least under circumstances of abnormality and sexual assault.
i’ve put a fresh coat of grease on the slippery slope and i’ve left the floodgates unlocked.
for the craic, like.
Everything nowadays is a slippery slope, even a well adhered slope
Prepare the wanton women!!
i’ll be waiting with arms open :)
Brilliant news! Absolutely fantastic :) this has made my day
I’ll bet any amount of money we get it here before there.
sadly, i think you’re right. once they say ‘no’, it stays no.
It’s a constant source of amusement to me that the devolved government in ‘The Six’ couldn’t run a whelk stall – witness DUP/SF*’s abdication to Whitehall of responsibility for welfare – but proposals for what I’d imagine to be a highly restrictive abortion offer is a line in the sand for the DUP. Try running the failed statelet, you dopes.
*Note, please, that SF will contest an election in the South on the basis of being a ‘responsible party’. Funny, were it not so tragic.
Really? I would imagine they’ll need someone to bring a test case against the State but if they have this ruling surely that would force it, regardless of the politicians?
Declarations of incompatibility with the ECHR have no direct effect, unlike, say a finding of unconstitutionality in Ireland. It only forces parliamentary consideration, which will likely be defeated in Stormont. The Stormont assembly is probably the only one in a position to get away with not acting as it’s such a shambles anyway that no-one expects it to do anything.
Ah yes, a human right. That’s a good one. Keyboard warriors, assemble!