Northern Ireland Still Refuses to Lift Ban on Abortion

In a groundbreaking referendum in late May, the Irish population voted “yes” by a 66:34 majority to repeal the Eighth Amendment of the predominantly Catholic nation’s constitution. This controversial amendment had banned abortions in order to protect the life of unborn fetuses and had been in place since 1983. Therefore, abortion is expected to be legalized later in Ireland this year. However, neighboring Northern Ireland still has strict abortion laws in place. The region seems adamant in refusing to allow abortion unless the expectant mother’s life is at severe risk.

Northern Ireland has been historically taken a hardline stance against the pro-choice movement. It has been very slow in adopting more liberal stances on the issue of termination. For instance, the Abortion Act, passed in the United Kingdom in 1967, began to allow doctors to perform abortions under specific conditions. However, Northern Ireland did not change its law according to its act. Its legislature had been dominated by the Ulster Unionist Party, allied with the Catholic church, while the Catholic and Protestant churches worked to keep the existing ban in place.

Leading up to the referendum in Dublin, specific cases in which Irish women sought out legal abortions for the sake of their own health began to challenge the view on abortions imposed by the Eighth Amendment. For instance, the 1992 Irish X Case refers to the case of a rape victim who sought an abortion in the UK. However, the Attorney General called for an injunction in order to prevent her from traveling to Great Britain for a safe, legal abortion. After the girl appealed this decision, her case was brought to the Supreme Court, which ruled in her favor.

This landmark ruling called into question whether women whose lives are at risk due to their unborn children should still be forbidden under law to terminate their pregnancies. The ensuing Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act began to allow abortions in cases in which the mother’s life was at risk, including by suicide. The conversation on legalizing abortion in Ireland began to spread as more liberal ideas began to take shape throughout the UK, particularly those concerning women’s rights.

Now, although the Irish people have recently voted to repeal the Eighth Amendment, Northern Ireland will soon become the only area in the UK in which abortion is illegal unless there lies a serious risk to a woman’s life. The inflexible ban on abortion in this region means that Northern Irish women seeking safe and legal abortions must travel to Britain or elsewhere.

The Democratic Unionist Party in Northern Ireland has been steadfast in quelling pro-abortion sentiment. According to DUP leader Arlene Foster, the result in the Republic of Ireland has no impact on Northern Irish laws. The government is also very much opposed to Westminster, the meeting place of the UK parliament, putting pressure on Northern Ireland to change its existing abortion laws.

Clearly, the church still holds a great deal of influence in politics in the area. For instance, a priest told a couple seeking marriage in late May that their support for abortion could lead to them not being able to get married in a Catholic church. In adherence to traditional religious views, Northern Ireland also happened to be the last part of the UK to legalize same-sex sexual activity, while the legality of the same-sex marriage has been consistently vetoed by the DUP.

Many predict that Northern Ireland will become more liberalized in response to outward pressure. However, this prove to be a long, arduous process due to the lingering influence of the church and conservatives.

Featured Image via Pixnio/Jon Sullivan