Landmark ruling on Northern Ireland's abortion law looms at Supreme Court
Campaigners say the abortion law will be a "serious issue" for the government if the Supreme Court rules it violates human rights.
Thursday 7 June 2018 09:46, UK
The Supreme Court will rule today on whether or not Northern Ireland's abortion law amounts to a violation of human rights.
The highest court in the UK will deliver its judgment as pressure mounts for the prime minister to intervene on the issue.
Since last month's referendum in the Republic, Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK and Ireland where termination is restricted to cases where there is a threat to a woman's life or serious risk to her physical or mental health.
In 2015, the High Court ruled that abortion legislation in Northern Ireland did violate human rights under EU law.
But the Department of Justice at Stormont and Northern Ireland's attorney general challenged the judgment and won the appeal.
:: UN accuses UK of violating human rights over NI abortion laws
In 2017, the Court of Appeal ruled that even if the abortion law did violate human rights, it could only be changed by a devolved government.
The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission says the law should be changed in cases of rape, incest and fatal foetal abnormality.
Les Allamby, chief commissioner, said: "If the court rules that there is a violation of human rights, then that becomes a very serious issue for the UK government.
"In the absence of the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly, it becomes a human rights issue, not simply a matter of policy that’s devolved to Northern Ireland."
But pro-life campaigners, who believe this should remain a devolved matter, say they hope the Supreme Court will consider the human rights of the unborn child too.
Dawn McEvoy from the Both Lives Matter campaign said: "Abortion campaigners are using these very extreme and difficult circumstances to try and instigate a situation where there is unlimited access to abortion, decriminalisation of abortion.
"So we're very concerned that we drive a wedge and separate out those different issues."
With no devolved government in place, it would be difficult for Theresa May to resist calls for intervention from Westminster if the Supreme Court deems the current law a violation of human rights.