The report explicitly rejects using the bill to legislate for abortion in NI.

SPUC supporters certainly contributed to the ‘large number of written submissions’ calling for this Bill not to be used to change the law on abortion - and the committee listened.

The House of Commons joint committee examining the Draft Domestic Abuse Bill has specifically ruled out changing abortion law in Northern Ireland in its report, published today.

Why's the domestic abuse bill relevant to abortion?

For months, abortion supporters have been focusing on the Domestic Abuse Bill as a vehicle to change abortion law in Northern Ireland. Labour MP Stella Creasy reacted furiously when the draft bill was published in January, and it emerged that its provisions only applied to England and Wales. Despite Minister Victoria Atkins repeatedly explaining that the bill applied to England and Wales only because the raft of offences that would support prosecutions on domestic abuse are devolved to the Northern Ireland and Scottish administrations, Ms Creasy insisted "this government cares more about the DUP than domestic violence. Proof (is that) they’ve restricted scope of Domestic Abuse Bill to try to prevent abortion reform in Northern Ireland."

She didn’t give up her attempts to hijack the Domestic Abuse bill, heading a group of MPs from a range of political parties, campaigners and academics in calling on the Government to extend the scope of the bill to Northern Ireland.

"This Bill should not be used to change the law on abortion in Northern Ireland"

However, in another blow to Ms Creasy’s ambition to use the plight of victims of domestic abuse in her  campaign for unlimited abortion in Northern Ireland, the Joint Committee examining the bill today rejected calls to extend the scope of the bill.

The report’s summary states: "There is a temptation that this Bill be used to address a range of other issues that are linked to Domestic Abuse. This is a temptation that the committee has tried to resist to help ensure this vital legislation has the best opportunity possible of making it onto the statute books. 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."

SPUC submissions made a difference

The body of the report also says: "We received a large number of written submissions on the issue of the law on abortion in Northern Ireland, the majority of which argued that the Bill should not be used as a means to change the law."

SPUC contacted supporters in April, asking them to make a submission to the joint committee. Welcoming the report, Antonia Tully, campaign director for the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, the world’s oldest pro-life group, said:

"SPUC supporters have certainly contributed to the ‘large number of written submissions’ calling for this Bill not to be used to change the law on abortion.

"Our supporters were able to step up to the plate and really make a difference. The members of the Joint Committee have listened."

Vigilence required

The report decisively rejects  the inclusion of abortion in the bill. However, it does recommend that its provisions be extended to Northern Ireland unless and until Northern Ireland enacts its own legislation in this area, through a "sunset clause".

Mrs Tully said: "The Joint Committee Report is a setback for our opponents. But we need to remain more vigilant than ever as the ‘sunset’ clause could be used by our opponents to press their advantage."

Domestic abuse and abortion

Liam Gibson, SPUC’s NI spokesman also welcomed the report, saying: "This is a crucially important report and the committee was right to resist the efforts to hijack this Bill in order to impose abortion on demand on the people of Northern Ireland. Abortion itself is a lethal act of violence directed at an innocent child, so it would be outrageous if legislation aimed at combating domestic abuse was used to target unborn children with the lethal violence of abortion. 

"We also know that women in violent relationships are often coerced into abortion. One study found that the rate of domestic abuse among women undergoing an abortion was six times higher than women receiving antenatal care[1]. Northern Ireland’s laws protect both women and children from abortion. In the last 50 years, they have saved the lives of more than 100,000 babies." 

[1] Wokoma TT, Jampala M, Bexhell H, Guthrie K & Lindow S (2014) A comparative study of the prevalence of domestic violence in women requesting a termination of pregnancy and those attending an antenatal clinic. BJOG 121:627-633.