Critics of Downing Street’s plans to impose radical abortion regulations on Northern Ireland are calling on the Prime Minister to return authority for abortion law to the Stormont Assembly. SPUC says the Government’s regulations are so extreme that they go far beyond any abortion legislation in Europe.
The new regulations come into effect 14 May. Last week the Government was forced to withdraw its previous draft when it was found to be defective. However, a spokesman for SPUC said that the fundamental issues with the regulations had not been addressed.
"Antidemocratic and an abuse of power"
Michael Robinson, SPUC Communications Director said:
“These regulations introduce defacto abortion-on-demand to Northern Ireland through to 24-weeks and in some cases right up to birth. What was left of the legislation which had saved the lives of more than 100,000 of our fellow citizens since 1967, is now gone. Even if a woman kills her child during delivery, she will not be committing an offence. This goes much further than the law in the rest of the UK.
“While the prosecution of abortion providers will be virtually impossible, these regulations fail to respect the human rights of medical staff to conscientious objection. While doctors, nurses and midwives will have a limited right to object, other medical personnel and ancillary staff have no right to avoid participation in abortion.
“The Government’s refusal to address the growing criticism of its plans is deeply disturbing. Its handling of this issue has been antidemocratic and an abuse of power. Seventy-nine per cent of the people who responded to the public consultation rejected the Government’s proposals, yet it is forcing them on Northern Ireland because this is what the British abortion industry wants.
“Regardless of what the new regulations state, we must always remember that every abortion kills an unborn human child.
“Efforts to reform these abortion regulations are fundamentally futile. Westminster's abortion legislation must be repealed and full legal protection for our unborn children restored.
Mr Robinson added: “Last year MPs from England, Scotland and Wales treated the devolution settlement with complete contempt. They ignored parliamentary procedures and constitutional conventions, to force a radical abortion regime on the people of Northern Ireland.
“MPs must now vote down the redrafted regulations to send a very strong signal to the Government that this extreme regime should not be imposed on Northern Ireland. It’s time for authority for abortion law to be returned to the Assembly at Stormont.”