Northern Ireland: abortion care guidance withdrawn

BPAS comments on the Judicial Review of the guidance on abortion care produced by the DHSSPS in Northern Ireland.

Lord Justice Girvan at the High Court in Belfast made a ruling today granting the withdrawal of the Guidance document on abortion from Northern Ireland’s Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) following a Judicial Review instigated by SPUC (an anti-abortion group). The court found in the DHSSPS’s favour in six out of eight aspects contested by SPUC.

The new document had aimed to clarify the situation for healthcare professionals in Northern Ireland around the law relating to termination of pregnancy. Ann Furedi, Chief Executive of BPAS, the charity which provides abortion and contraceptive care in Great Britain to women travelling from Northern Ireland, said in response to the decision

‘Forcing a woman to endure a pregnancy and have a child that she doesn’t want and can’t look after is undoubtedly extremely damaging to her and to her existing family.

‘We see hundreds of women each year from Northern Ireland who have been forced to travel to access healthcare services which are legitimately provided to women in almost every other country.’

BPAS comment on the Judicial Review of the guidance on abortion care produced by the DHSSPS in Northern Ireland. BPAS, 30 November 2009

Also read:

Northern Ireland: SPUC challenges abortion guidelines. Abortion Review, 28 October 2009