Women's rights

Supreme Court Northern Ireland abortion ruling: Now Westminster must act

Posted on 07 Jun 2018

Today’s ruling leaves the UK Government out of excuses. While the case was dismissed, women’s groups may have lost the battle but they are winning the war.

Today the Supreme Court has dismissed a challenge by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission to the legality of Northern Ireland’s abortion law.

However, by a majority ruling, the judges expressed the “clear opinion” that the current legislation is “incompatible” with human rights laws in the cases of fatal foetal abnormality, rape and incest.

Corey Stoughton, Liberty’s Advocacy Director, said: “Today’s ruling leaves the UK Government out of excuses. While the case was dismissed, women’s groups may have lost the battle but they are winning the war.

“The Supreme Court has unequivocally recognised that the criminalisation of abortion is an appalling human rights abuse. Westminster must act now to decriminalise abortion across the United Kingdom and grant basic bodily autonomy to the women of Northern Ireland.”

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