Northern Ireland abortion laws change by midnight tonight (21 Oct)

32 replies

FeminismandWomensFights · 21/10/2019 12:14

BBC news article says:
Abortion law: NI politicians to return to Stormont

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-50115449

’NI's Stormont Assembly will sit for the first time in nearly three years after being recalled in a last-ditch attempt to stop changes to the abortion law.
Unionist parties, who oppose the upcoming liberalisation, triggered the recall with a petition. NI has been without a devolved government since January 2017 when the power-sharing parties split.
Abortion laws will change at midnight unless devolution is restored but the recall is seen as largely symbolic.
Without an executive in place, Stormont cannot affect the laws.
It is unlikely an executive will be established as it needs support from both the unionist and republican communities’.

What does ‘largely symbolic’ mean?
Is there a chance that it could stop abortion rights coming to Northern Ireland?
Women in Northern Ireland (and same sex couples) deserve better than this insulting, self-interested farce.

OP posts:

MockersthefeMANist · 21/10/2019 18:39

Stayaway MLAs still getting paid.

NigellaAwesome · 21/10/2019 18:27

I'm delighted that both will be legalised - it's been long overdue.

Good point about who will be the first to offer abortion though - that dreadful Bernie woman and her cronies will be outside protesting and harassing staff in the same way they did with Marie Stopes. But at least women will now be able to access terminations via medication. It angers me so much about the woman who was jailed for procuring an abortion, and I think there was a mother & daughter convicted too.

ErrolTheDragon · 21/10/2019 18:13

Yay! It's on the news now.
And same sex marriage.

BernardBlacksWineIceLolly · 21/10/2019 14:49

Let’s hope that the intervention comes to nothing and the law is passed. It’s well due time for women in NI to have this basic right

SapatSea · 21/10/2019 13:43

Sinn Fein, Alliance and most SDLP MLA's aren't attending so an executive decision cannot be passed. Womens rights have been denied for far too long in NI. I hope the passing into law tonight will bring about real practical change so that women can finally access abortions. What brave clinic will be the first to offer them though I wonder ?

ErrolTheDragon · 21/10/2019 12:58

The descriptions such as "cynical political stunt" sound about right. Surely if this was a serious attempt (or if the DUP believed they could actually stop the decriminalisation) they'd have tried this much sooner.

Original poster

FeminismandWomensFights · 21/10/2019 12:15

Link that works:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-50115449

OP posts:

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