Pro-life group challenges abortion guidelines

Published Tuesday, 27 October 2009
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Pro-life campaigners have begun a High Court action challenging government guidelines on abortion in Northern Ireland.

In March, the Department of Health published new guidance for professionals explaining the circumstances of when a termination may be carried out.

The publication came five years after the Court of Appeal ruled that the government should inquire into the provision of termination services.

Abortion is illegal in Northern Ireland, except in circumstances where the mother's life or mental health are considered at risk.

The guidelines were criticised by a lawyer for the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) which is seeking a judicial review.

Their lawyer James Dingemans, QC, said the guidelines contained legal errors, were vague in relation to consent and misrepresented the law in Northern Ireland.

The result, he argued, was that confusion still remained in such a vital area.

Pro-life campaigner Liam Gibson told UTV the law needs clarified.

"We believe that the guidance does not fully reflect the illegality of abortion in Northern Ireland. Abortion is a criminal offence, it is not a medical treatment," he said.

"This has almost been sidelined by the way the department has decided to represent the law so it is misleading or potentially misleading."

© UTV News
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10 Comments
Ciara Coyle in Derry wrote (938 days ago):
I would like to stress that women who abort their baby whatever their reason maybe (including a crisis pregnancy), will only add to problems that they may already have. Carrying-out Abortion will not solve their problems it will only add to them. Mainly because they will then have two tragedies to deal with. The problem they thought they had before would become very small compared to the burden of Abortion. They will have to carry the burden of Abortion for the rest of their lives. Women who abort their babies tend to suffer physiological effects, such as; depression, suicidal tendancies, emptyness, unfulfillment and sense of loss. And for women who abort their babies and then decide to have a family later on in life will see their babies grew up and they will regret that they aborted their brother/s or/and sisters. Many women tend to be in denial (thinking they made the right decision to abort thier baby). Women may be in denial for days, months or years before realising that the act they have committed - can not be reversed. Therfore physiological effects take place when its too late. Please realise that babies bring so much joy to each one of us. Murder in the womb is not Gods will. Can i aslo meantion that life would be so perfect without Abortion. How can Murder be justified. It Can Not, because Murder is Murder - no matter what the reasons are.
lorna in limavady wrote (939 days ago):
If we lived in a perfect world there would be no need for abortion and all babies born would be wanted and cared for, but we don't and it is left to the state to care for unwanted children. Some churches do not believe we should have birth control so what does a woman do when she get pregnant. The man can opt out and take no part in the bringing up of his own child while the woman is responsible for that child and as I hate the idea of abortion I feel sorry when I see the children like baby P being mistreated and tortured by the people who should have loved and cared for them. We have the blame put on the social services when this happens. If we don't give the rights to the mother there is going to be more baby P's
Ciara Coyle in Derry wrote (939 days ago):
Please God these guidelines will be scrapped, we can live without them. Abortion is Murder in the womb - these little babies are being butchered in the womb, with no pain relief. Its complete Genocide.
Michelle in Derry wrote (939 days ago):
In response to Heathers comments about Baby P I would just like to remind her that Baby P was murdered, abortion is also murder there is no difference!!! An aborted child also goes through suffering and at one point in a womans life she will also suffer and go through misery, if a mother can't look after a child then give it up for adoption, the child should'nt be punished with murder just because a mother can't look after it. Lets face it abortion is used now a days as just another method of contraception!!!!
heather in newtownabbey wrote (939 days ago):
ref john ,, John could a foetus survive outside the womb ??? hence womans body is still her body to do with what she feels right ,,
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