People of Northern Ireland to the Prime Minister: Don’t change our abortion law!

The Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill has been fast-tracked through Parliament supposedly to provide more time for the political parties to negotiate a deal on a return to Stormont. Yet, this Bill threatens to set in motion a process which will result in one of the most radical abortion regimes in Europe being imposed on Northern Ireland.

The Constitution Committee in Westminster has called the fast-tracking of legislation for Northern Ireland "unacceptable, unsustainable and should only be used for urgent matters". It is also completely contrary to parliamentary protocol that a proposal to overturn the current abortion law was selected for debate by the Speaker’s office. Most disturbing of all, MPs from England, Scotland and Wales care so little for the principles of devolution that an overwhelming majority were prepared to disregard the right of the people of Northern Ireland to maintain a law which protects women and children from abortion.

The terrible irony is that all this is being imposed in the name of human rights. Abortion is not a human right, it is an act of lethal violence against an unborn child and is never justified. Claims that human rights obligations require the legalisation of abortion are simply untrue. Not one UN human rights agreement has ever recognised access to abortion as a human right. On the contrary, the right to life is attested by every international human rights instrument as the fundamental human right, shared by all members of the human family, born and unborn.

Learn more about Clause 9 (formerly New Clause 10) Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill - see our briefing here.

Are you from Northern Ireland? Please tell the Prime Minister to honour the government’s commitment to the principles of devolution and stop this inhumane and unjust measure being imposed on Northern Ireland.

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