PRESS RELEASE: Precious Life welcome House of Commons report which opposes proposals to impose abortion on Northern Ireland from Westminster.
Precious Life welcome House of Commons report which opposes proposals to impose abortion on Northern Ireland from Westminster.
Northern Ireland’s leading pro-life group Precious Life have welcomed a House of Commons Joint Committee published report, regarding the Draft Domestic Abuse Bill that specifically ruled out changing abortion law in Northern Ireland.
The report states: “In particular, the committee felt strongly that this Bill should not be used to change the law on abortion in Northern Ireland and this view was reflected in the evidence that we received. We have not considered that it is part of our remit to consider this issue.”
Director and spokesperson for Precious Life, Bernadette Smyth, commented: “Precious Life members and supporters have definitely contributed to the ‘large number of written submissions’ calling for this Bill not to be used to force abortion onto Northern Ireland in response to our appeal for written evidence during the course of this enquiry.
“We are extremely grateful that Precious Life’s supporters took the opportunity and gave their time and energy to make the effort of sending in their own personal submissions and testimonies, which clearly have made a huge impact. We are pleased that the members of the Joint Committee have listened and taken this crucial evidence on board.
Bernadette Smyth also said on behalf of Precious Life: “This was an attempt by the abortion lobby to usurp this Bill with the aim of legalising abortion right up to birth for any reason in Northern Ireland. This report is of crucial importance and the committee was correct to resist the efforts to introduce a cruel and extreme abortion regime in Northern Ireland. This Bill was supposed to be about supporting victims of domestic abuse, and so including abortion in this Bill was completely inappropriate, shameful and unjust. Abortion is an act of extreme barbarism and violence directed towards the innocent unborn baby and so the inclusion of abortion in this Bill was outrageous and deeply unsettling to many people.
“What we also made clear in our campaign against this Bill that women in abusive relationships are often coerced into abortion by violent partners. Northern Ireland’s life-saving laws protect both mothers and babies from the horror and violence of abortion, and our laws will continue to do so, with the support of so many pro-life people in Northern Ireland who constantly engage with our campaigns. Our ongoing ‘Lobby for Life’ Campaign has gained over 15,000 petitions in recent months alone, while we have collected over 300,000 pro-life petitions in separate campaigns in recent years, which is a clear indication that the majority of people in Northern Ireland are totally opposed to any change in our pro-life laws.
“Although this is a positive outcome, Precious Life are aware of the accelerated and ongoing attacks on our pro-life laws from many different forces. With the help of our many dedicated and passionate volunteers and members, Precious Life will continue working to ensure abortion is kept not only illegal but unthinkable in Northern Ireland.”
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