Mags GarganSinn Féin blocked the last attempt to introduce a pro-life amendment to stop private abortion clinics.
A pro-life organisation in the North has presented 35,000 signed submissions to Stormont, calling for a change in the law to stop the activities of private abortion clinics.
The submissions were part of Precious Life’s ‘Project Justice’ postcard campaign which supports DUP MLA Jim Wells’ proposed amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill. The amendment would ensure that private commercial clinics, such as the Marie Stopes Centre which opened in Belfast in 2012, cannot legally carry out abortions in Northern Ireland.
Abortion is illegal in the North except to save the life of the mother, and the proposed amendment would restrict lawful abortions to National Health Services premises, except in cases of urgency when this access is not possible and where no fee is paid.
Sinn Féin blocked the last attempt to introduce a pro-life amendment to stop private abortion clinics.
Meanwhile, a court case taken by the head of the Marie Stopes Centre in Belfast against the Director of Precious Life has been adjourned for closing submissions. Replying to a prosecution lawyer last week, Bernadette Smyth denied “cackling” like a witch at
Dawn Purvis, a former Progressive Unionist MLA, during one of two alleged incidents which Ms Purvis claimed left her fearing for her
safety.