Britain ‘exceeded power’ imposing abortion on the North

Britain’s secretary of state for the North exceeded his powers by introducing liberal abortion regulations the region’s chief legal adviser has said.

Under the European Convention on Human Rights protection must be given to the rights of those opposed on religious or philosophical grounds, Attorney General John Larkin QC, said, and it is doubtful that this was adequate in this case.

“This is of political and legal significance and, given that the relevant judgment call is best made by a local legislature, it may be inappropriate for the provision to have been so limited in light of the changed political context,” the Attorney General said in written evidence to a House of Lords committee.

Last year, abortion was decriminalised in the region over the heads of locally-elected politicians by British MPs in a move that was widely criticised and opposed by all members of the UK Parliament from the North who take their seats.

Regulations

Meanwhile, the northern bishops have written to members of the assembly to voice their opposition to new regulations regarding abortion, insisting it must be debated “as a matter of urgency”.

They said the current regulations, which were brought in due to legislation passed in Westminster, must be formulated to reflect the position of the majority of people in the North.

“While we regard this to be an unjust law, which was imposed without the consent of the people of Northern Ireland, we are morally obliged, wherever possible, to do all we can to save the lives of unborn children, which could be lost through abortion, and to protect mothers from the pressures they might experience at the time of an unplanned pregnancy,”

Baroness Nuala O’Loan, in her submission to the House of Lords reiterated concerns about the consultation process, which she dubbed “deeply flawed”.

Debate

She stated: “It is time now for the NI Assembly to make its voice heard, to debate the issue and to reclaim its power over abortion.

“This new law with its obvious excess of power, uncertainties, lack of detail and dangers, has to be approved by parliament in the coming weeks. If this does not happen, the law will fall,” she said.