House of Lords Committee strongly criticises Government's approach to imposing abortion on Northern Ireland
An influential House of Lords Committee has strongly criticised the UK Government’s approach to imposing abortion on Northern Ireland.
The Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee has released a report highlighting a range of concerns with the Westminster-imposed abortion law now enforced here. The Committee’s role is to scrutinise legislation which parliament has given the Government the ability to introduce.
A prominent concern noted by the Committee was the manner in which the Government handled the public consultation on introducing the extreme abortion law before it came into force.
The report acknowledges that the six-week consultation period was “too short for so sensitive a topic”, adding that it “took place during the General Election period and in the run up to Christmas – neither of which conforms with best practice”.
The Committee was also heavily critical of the fact the Government decided to impose such a broad-based and controversial law on Northern Ireland in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis and at a time when Parliament was entering into a period of recess.
The significance of the Government bringing in abortion regulations so close to the 31 March deadline and before a parliamentary recess was that it denied Parliament a crucial opportunity to scrutinise the abortion regulations before they were implemented.
An abortion law overwhelmingly opposed by the people of NI
The report also refers to the overwhelming amount of opposition to this permissive and extreme law from all sections of society in Northern Ireland. Opposition came from MPs, MLAs, various organisations, businesses, charities, disability rights groups and the Attorney General of Northern Ireland.
Further, a staggering 79% of those who responded to the NIO’s public consultation on abortion law here expressed opposition to any change to Northern Ireland’s pro-life laws.
Northern Ireland MLA’s call for opportunity to Repeal abortion law
Following the implementation of the abortion law amidst the coronavirus crisis on 31 March, various politicians were quick to voice their outright opposition to the law change. Northern Ireland MLAs at Stormont called for an opportunity to introduce new legislation to the Northern Ireland Assembly to repeal the barbaric new abortion regime.
speaking at Stormont, DUP MLA Paul Givan drew attention to the fact that the NIO had ignored the results of its own consultation, and had disregarded the will of the majority of people in Northern Ireland and over 21,000 who responded to the consultation.
He said: “Of those who responded to the consultation, 79% were opposed to any change in the law on abortion in Northern Ireland. The British Government, once again, rode roughshod over the will of the people in this country.”
“The abortion industry must be delighted that, in Northern Ireland, there are the most extreme, radical abortion laws anywhere in Europe. It is a travesty that it has been allowed to happen…
“We will seek legislative change so that we have a regime in Northern Ireland that reflects what I believe will be the will of the people on this issue: defending both lives, that of the mother and of the preborn,” he added.
Paul Frew echoed his fellow DUP MLA’s concerns, reiterating the fact that the people of Northern Ireland had been completely ignored:
He said: “In one fell swoop, the British Government, and by extension the Northern Ireland Office, have made a mockery of consultation, with 79% of the people who responded, including myself, being ignored; a mockery of legislation and how it should be produced, with time taken to go through each clause to scrutinise it and be accountable for it; a mockery of our healthcare system; and a mockery of how we help and assist the most vulnerable in our society.
“The most vulnerable people in our society are people yet unborn but who have a heart that beats and a body that grows. We are failing all those people. I say this to the NIO: what you have done here in imposing these guidelines and legislation on the people of Northern Ireland is shameful when you know fine well what the people think.”
Precious Life say Repeal needs to be the ultimate goal
Precious Life welcomed the Attorney General’s calls for conscientious objection provision on abortion, but said that the ultimate goal for pro-lifers in Northern Ireland needs to be full repeal of the province’s extreme abortion law.
Regarding the new abortion regulations that were recently introduced to Northern Ireland, Attorney General John Larkin QC wrote yesterday (27 April),
“It is doubtful whether the legislation gives adequate European Convention on Human Rights-based protection to the rights of those opposed on religious or philosophical grounds.”
Mr Larkin added: “In my view, it is disproportionate in the Northern Irish context (and therefore contrary to article 9 of the Convention) to require those who undertake ancillary, administrative and managerial tasks to act contrary to their conscience for service maintenance reasons as set out in the consultation response.”
Bernadette Smyth, Director of Precious Life said that whilst her organisation welcomed the Attorney General’s call for broader conscientious protection in law for medical staff and personnel, the people of Northern Ireland cannot take their focus off the long-term campaign to repeal section 9.
Ms Smyth said, “Whilst we welcome this intervention from the Attorney General to protect conscientious rights under article 9 of the Convention of Human Rights, there needs to be a full challenge of this inhumane and barbaric law, which has been enforced against the democratic will of the Northern Ireland electorate.”