A date has been fixed for the court challenge launched by SPUC against the UK Government’s imposition of abortion on Northern Ireland. Liam Gibson, SPUC’s Northern Ireland Political Officer said: “If this power grab by the Westminster Government is allowed to stand it will condemn to death an untold number of unborn babies and also fatally undermine the devolution settlement.”
The £100,000-plus case which is being funded by SPUC will commence on Tuesday June 29 in Belfast.
Westminster is being accused of a “devolution power grab”, in a challenge to the Abortion (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2021 which empower NI Secretary Brandon Lewis to direct Stormont ministers to implement a “fully-funded abortion service” over the heads of Stormont MLAs.
SPUC is challenging this move and has been granted leave to apply for a Judicial Review.
SPUC will be represented in court by the formidable former Northern Ireland Attorney General John Larkin, QC, who is considered to be the leading authority on the legal and constitutional issues relating to the devolution settlement.
In court papers, Mr Larkin says: “the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland had no power under section 9 of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019 to make the 2021 Regulations”.
SPUC seeks to have them quashed and wants the court to rule that NI ministers have “no obligation to comply with any direction issued by the Secretary of State under the 2021 Regulations”.
“Draconian and radical abortion laws”
SPUC’s Liam Gibson said: “The UK Government has imposed the most draconian and radical abortion laws on us which would never have secured a majority in the Stormont Assembly.
“London is stripping locally elected Ministers of power and denying the people an accountable government with a democratic mandate.
“The situation means that enormous powers have been vested in a politician who is not answerable to the people of Northern Ireland. In 2019, 79 per cent of submissions to the public consultation on abortion rejected the government’s proposals but London has shown nothing but disdain for their views and contempt for the lives of our unborn children.
“By supporting our legal action people will be speaking out against these illegitimate and unconstitutional Regulations. They will also be giving a voice to the thousands of innocent children whose lives will be lost if the Secretary of State, Brandon Lewis, is not stopped.
“We are calling for all pro-life voices to unite in backing this case. The politicians making the decisions about our abortion laws must be accountable to the people of Northern Ireland. This is essential if full legal protection for unborn children is ever to be restored.”
Help the legal fighting fund
John Deighan, SPUC’s deputy CEO said: “These are the most challenging times the pro-life movement has ever faced in Northern Ireland.
“We need the prayers of pro-life supporters and their financial assistance too as we seek to raise the funds required to finance the court case.”
To make a donation to the legal fighting fund go to the website: https://www.spuc.org.uk/donate