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| Woman with Down's loses abortion law fight | Woman with Down's loses abortion law fight |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Heidi Crowter says "the fight is not over" after losing her High Court case | Heidi Crowter says "the fight is not over" after losing her High Court case |
| A woman with Down's syndrome has lost her High Court challenge over a law that allows abortion up to birth for a foetus with the condition. | A woman with Down's syndrome has lost her High Court challenge over a law that allows abortion up to birth for a foetus with the condition. |
| Heidi Crowter, 26, from Coventry, brought the case against the government saying the legislation did not respect her life. | Heidi Crowter, 26, from Coventry, brought the case against the government saying the legislation did not respect her life. |
| Her legal team had argued the rules were unlawfully discriminatory. | Her legal team had argued the rules were unlawfully discriminatory. |
| As two senior judges dismissed the case earlier, Ms Crowter said she would seek to appeal against the judgement. | As two senior judges dismissed the case earlier, Ms Crowter said she would seek to appeal against the judgement. |
| Under current legislation for England, Wales and Scotland, there is a 24-week time limit for abortion, unless "there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped", which includes Down's syndrome. | Under current legislation for England, Wales and Scotland, there is a 24-week time limit for abortion, unless "there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped", which includes Down's syndrome. |
| The judges ruled that section of the Abortion Act was not unlawful, and it aimed to strike a balance between the rights of the unborn child and of women. | The judges ruled that section of the Abortion Act was not unlawful, and it aimed to strike a balance between the rights of the unborn child and of women. |
| Ms Crowter, who is married and campaigns under her maiden name, tweeted after their ruling to say she was upset not to win "but the fight is not over". | Ms Crowter, who is married and campaigns under her maiden name, tweeted after their ruling to say she was upset not to win "but the fight is not over". |
| She said: "The judges might not think it discriminates against me, the government might not think it discriminates against me, but I am telling you I feel discriminated against." | She said: "The judges might not think it discriminates against me, the government might not think it discriminates against me, but I am telling you I feel discriminated against." |
| This is a very sad day, but I will keep fighting. | This is a very sad day, but I will keep fighting. |
| Lord Justice Singh and Mrs Justice Lieven said at the outset of their judgement: "The issues which have given rise to this claim are highly sensitive and sometimes controversial. | Lord Justice Singh and Mrs Justice Lieven said at the outset of their judgement: "The issues which have given rise to this claim are highly sensitive and sometimes controversial. |
| "This court cannot enter into those controversies; it must decide the case only in accordance with the law." | "This court cannot enter into those controversies; it must decide the case only in accordance with the law." |
| Maire Lea-Wilson (centre) brought the case with Heidi Crowter | Maire Lea-Wilson (centre) brought the case with Heidi Crowter |
| Ms Crowter's lawyers had claimed the legislation was unlawfully discriminatory as it was incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. | Ms Crowter's lawyers had claimed the legislation was unlawfully discriminatory as it was incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. |
| But at the hearing in July, the government said there was no evidence the law discriminated against Down's. | |
| Speaking in the summer, Ms Crowter said the law was offensive, and she wanted to challenge people's perception of Down's syndrome so that they saw "just a normal person". | Speaking in the summer, Ms Crowter said the law was offensive, and she wanted to challenge people's perception of Down's syndrome so that they saw "just a normal person". |
| She also said then her stance was not a campaign against women's right to choose. | She also said then her stance was not a campaign against women's right to choose. |
| 'Abortion law for Down's doesn't respect my life' | |
| 'See the person behind the extra chromosome' | |
| Latest news and updates from the West Midlands | |
| Ms Crowter brought the case with another two parties - a child who has Down's, identified in the proceedings only as A, and Máire Lea-Wilson, 33, from Brentford, London, whose son Aidan has the condition. | |
| Ms Lea-Wilson said she had two boys and felt the judgement "effectively says that my two sons are not viewed as equals in the eyes of the law". | Ms Lea-Wilson said she had two boys and felt the judgement "effectively says that my two sons are not viewed as equals in the eyes of the law". |
| She added she did not regret bringing the case as it had helped raise awareness of the issues, and said she too would appeal against the judgement. | |
| "Equality should be for everyone regardless of the number of chromosomes they have," she said. | |
| If you have been affected by issues raised in this story, sources of support are available via the BBC Action Line. | |
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