The right to life is granted by neither state nor men, but it is their duty to protect it.
A judicial review of abortion law in Northern Ireland will commence in the High Court on Monday 15th June 2015. The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) is taking the Department of Justice to court to demand the legalisation of abortion in cases of rape, incest and when the unborn child has been diagnosed with ‘serious’ disabilities. Of course, this is a prelude to what the NIHRC, Amnesty International, and Marie Stopes International are really screeching for with their raised torches and pitchforks: abortion on demand.
According to the NIHRC, the law in Northern Ireland which ensures that every human being, born and unborn, has a right to life, a right not to be intentionally killed, is in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights; specifically, the prohibition of torture and degrading treatment, the right to privacy, and the prohibition of discrimination.
Precious Life, the leading pro-life group in Northern Ireland, has been granted leave to be a third party intervener in this landmark case. Precious Life argues that the NIHRC’s claims are unfounded and it will fight this legal challenge to ensure that the rights of the unborn child will be protected in law, policy and practice in Northern Ireland.
The people of Northern Ireland have repeatedly told the Northern Ireland Assembly that abortion will never be wanted or needed in Northern Ireland. In 2013, Precious Life collected and presented 250,000 petitions as part of its ongoing Pro-life campaign. In September 2014, it presented 35,000 petitions in support of Alastair Ross’ amendment to prohibit commercial provision of abortion in Northern Ireland. In April 2015, it was revealed that 25,140 of the 25,320 responses to the consultation on changing the law to allow abortion in cases of rape, incest and where the unborn was diagnosed with a terminal disability were opposed to any change in the law.
Bernadette Smyth, the director of Precious Life, explained:
‘Contrary to what the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and Amnesty International would like you to believe, not one international human rights instrument recognises a right to abortion. The Human Rights Commission are deliberately ignoring the democratic wishes of the people who have made clear that abortion will never be in our name. They are trying to allow abortion in by the back door.
‘It is very hypocritical of our Human Rights Commission to want to deny unborn children, the most defenceless and vulnerable human beings, of their right to life. Precious Life is a voice for the unborn child and we will do everything we can to counter this vicious threat.’
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