An interesting week but one without much hard law: abortion in Ireland, assisted dying in Canada, “three-person IVF” – and do the Lords Spiritual exercise illegal “spiritual influence”?

Abortion law (and other things) in Ireland

On Monday the BBC reported that the High Court in Belfast had granted permission for the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission to proceed with its petition for judicial review of abortion law. The case has been listed for a three-day hearing in June. If there is any written report of the judgment we can’t find it: possibly it was delivered orally without a transcript (but if anyone has managed to lay hands on a text we should very much like to see it).

This is the second time in swift succession that the Northern Ireland Executive has failed in a bid to stop a JR petition. Continue reading →