High court rules Northern Ireland abortion law in breach of UK’s human rights obligations

Abortion laws in Northern Ireland are in breach of the UK’s human rights obligations, the High Court in Belfast has ruled.

The judgement made on Thursday marked an important development in the case of a woman who was forced to travel to England to undergo a termination.

Sarah Ewart brought the case to court earlier this year after she says she was denied an abortion in 2013, despite doctors telling her that her baby would not survive outside of the womb.

sarah ewart.jpg
Sarah Ewart

The current law in Northern Ireland stipulates that women can legally have a termination if the mother’s life is at risk, or if her pregnancy will cause her incurable physical damage.

But in cases of pregnancy from rape and incest, or those that have been diagnosed with fatal foetal abnormality (FFA), a termination is not deemed legal.

Via Euronews

Discover more from The Dispatch

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Verified by MonsterInsights