The continuing saga of abortion law in Northern Ireland, bishops in the Lords, street preachers, daft headlines – and more…

Abortion in Northern Ireland

In December we noted that, subsequent to his judgment in Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, Re Judicial Review [2015] NIQB 96, Horner J had concluded that the current abortion law in Northern Ireland is in breach of Article 8 ECHR (private and family life) and incompatible with the Human Rights Act 1998 because it does not provide adequate protection for the human rights of pregnant women where there is a serious malformation of the foetus or a fatal foetal abnormality or where the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest.

The BBC reported that the Attorney General for Northern Ireland, John Larkin QC, has written to Jim Allister QC MLA (Traditional Unionist Voice) suggesting that proposed amendments to the Justice (No.2) Bill which would allow for abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormality might not be compatible with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Continue reading →