Justice Department Consults On Abortion Law Changes

The Department of Justice has proposed to allow abortions to take place in Northern Ireland in cases of lethal foetal abnormality and sexual crime.

The current law in Northern Ireland only permits abortion in cases when there is a danger to the pregnant woman's life or if there is a risk of permanent and serious damage to her mental or physical health.

Minister of Justice David Ford said: "In recent years we have heard some very sad personal stories of difficult pregnancies where the current law in Northern Ireland did not allow for abortion. I consider now is the right time to look at the criminal law to consider whether it should be lawful to have an abortion in circumstances where there is no prospect of the foetus being delivered and having a viable life. Pregnancies which result from sexual crime, such as rape or incest, will also be considered under the consultation.

"This is a very emotive area and I want to clearly state that this consultation paper in no way represents proposals for abortion on demand. It is not about the wider issues of abortion law, often labelled 'pro-life' and 'pro-choice'. It is about considering legislative changes in two specific sets of circumstances."

Regarding lethal foetal abnormality, the paper recommends a proposal to allow "clinical judgement" to determine when a foetal condition is "incompatible with life," if it is deemed impossible to improve the chances of survival.

This would enable a woman to decide at the point when such a judgement is made, usually at the 20 week scan, whether or not she wanted to continue with the pregnancy.

The second issue on which the Department is seeking views is regarding woman who have become pregnant as a result of a sexual crime.

The consultation paper is available on the DOJ website.

(IT/JP)