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| Abortion: UK 'breaches NI's women's rights' | Abortion: UK 'breaches NI's women's rights' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The UK breaches the rights of women in Northern Ireland by unduly restricting their access to abortion, a UN Committee has found. | The UK breaches the rights of women in Northern Ireland by unduly restricting their access to abortion, a UN Committee has found. |
| "Denial of abortion and criminalisation of abortion amounts to discrimination against women because it is a denial of a service that only women need," said the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. | "Denial of abortion and criminalisation of abortion amounts to discrimination against women because it is a denial of a service that only women need," said the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. |
| "It puts women in horrific situations." | "It puts women in horrific situations." |
| Northern Ireland's abortion laws are much stricter than the rest of the UK. | Northern Ireland's abortion laws are much stricter than the rest of the UK. |
| An abortion is only allowed if a woman's life is at risk or there is a serious or permanent risk to her mental health. | An abortion is only allowed if a woman's life is at risk or there is a serious or permanent risk to her mental health. |
| Rape, incest and fatal foetal abnormalities are not circumstances in which an abortion can be performed legally. | Rape, incest and fatal foetal abnormalities are not circumstances in which an abortion can be performed legally. |
| The breach of women's rights are "grave and systematic" because the existing law means women have to travel outside Northern Ireland to procure a legal abortion or to carry a pregnancy to term, said a report produced by the committee. | The breach of women's rights are "grave and systematic" because the existing law means women have to travel outside Northern Ireland to procure a legal abortion or to carry a pregnancy to term, said a report produced by the committee. |
| It concludes that a restriction preventing women from exercising reproductive choice involves mental and physical suffering. | It concludes that a restriction preventing women from exercising reproductive choice involves mental and physical suffering. |
| The report makes 13 recommendations - including the repeal of the criminal sanction on abortion contained in the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act. | The report makes 13 recommendations - including the repeal of the criminal sanction on abortion contained in the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act. |
| One of the recommendations is that terminations should be allowed in cases of sexual crime and fatal foetal abnormality and when there is a threat to a woman's health without "permanency" being a condition. | One of the recommendations is that terminations should be allowed in cases of sexual crime and fatal foetal abnormality and when there is a threat to a woman's health without "permanency" being a condition. |
| The committee consists of 23 experts on women's rights from around the world. | The committee consists of 23 experts on women's rights from around the world. |
| Grainne Teggart, from Amnesty International, called on the government to introduce abortion reform at Westminster "without delay". | Grainne Teggart, from Amnesty International, called on the government to introduce abortion reform at Westminster "without delay". |
| She said: "The UN Committee is very clear that it is the UK government which is responsible for ensuring that our laws are in line with the state's international human rights obligations. | She said: "The UN Committee is very clear that it is the UK government which is responsible for ensuring that our laws are in line with the state's international human rights obligations. |
| "Devolution - even if functioning - does not relieve the UK government of their responsibility to uphold human rights in Northern Ireland." | "Devolution - even if functioning - does not relieve the UK government of their responsibility to uphold human rights in Northern Ireland." |
| Chief executive of Christian Action Research and Education, Nola Leach, said Northern Ireland's abortion laws should "be framed in a way that provides the best possible outcome for both the mother and the unborn child," but "we cannot ignore one to the detriment of the other". | |
| "Northern Ireland's current legislation on abortion provides support for the unborn child; we should not seek to undermine or remove that protection," she said. | |
| A Supreme Court judgment considering whether abortion law in Northern Ireland is incompatible with international human rights is expected shortly. | |
| The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) said it would update the Supreme Court on the UN's findings. | |
| "Today's report is timely as the commission is waiting for the outcome of our own legal challenge," said NIHRC chief commissioner. | |
| Timeline of NI abortion law challenges | Timeline of NI abortion law challenges |