Abortion becomes legal in Northern Ireland today

[Cwenthryth]

The last line of my politicshome email this morning just said briefly, after dozens of links about Covid19, “Also happening: Abortion officially becomes legal in Northern Ireland”

Not even any link! But today’s the day the new legislation comes into force.

Just thought I’d share a little good news in dark times.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-politics-52068193

That is fantastic news, the women will not need to travel to the Uk to get an abortion. The logistics around arranging this always provided an extra layer of complications and stress. It really has made abortion accessible.

What clinics will there be, will abortions be in hospitals before clinic can be arranged? It might not be a smooth start but this is definite progress and good news. Thanks OP!

Thanks for sharing!

Great news

Great news for the women of Northern Island

Now that is the piece of good news I’ve needed this morning!

Fantastic that the women of Northern Ireland will now be able to exercise the same rights over their bodies as the rest of the UK. It’s been a long time coming.

I remember the days when as young girls we would discuss so-an-so 'getting the boat'. Never thought the Republic of Ireland would prove to be more progressive in womens rights and beat us to it.

Saying that abortions were performed in NI hospitals unlike the South, what happened to Savita Halappanavar would not have happened in the North. Any danger to the mother's life and it was done. Heard of some sympathetic doctors who would be able to refer young girls and abuse victims as suicide risks to get the procedure, others just had to travel, raising the money themselves if they couldn't tell their parents. Bad times for kids then making the choice of living with the shame of being an unmarried mother or getting an abortion.

I hope Savita’s family took a scrap of comfort from the change that happened in Ireland. Her shocking, heartbreaking death gave a face to the cause of women’s choices over their bodies.

Great news!

💪💪💪💪 forvall who,fought for this my 👏

Is it legal or is it decriminalised under certain circumstances? That is my understanding of the UK position. Clarification anyone?

From the article linked to in OP it seems that NI is allowing abortion up to 24 weeks for any reason and up to birth for reasons of disability.

Not sure where the abortions will occur. I assume hospitals, as there aren't specific clinics for abortion in NI yet. Was some talk of GP clinics doing abortion, but that there was a bit of a push-back against this.

That is fantastic news, the women will not need to travel to the Uk to get an abortion. The logistics around arranging this always provided an extra layer of complications and stress.

And probably completely impossible at the moment.
Though in practice, right now, presumably setting up abortion services for women in NI isn't going to be a priority - there are problems in GB with access too.

Thanks for posting

Abortion is legal in the UK up to 24 weeks, nothing to do with decriminalisation.

This is great news! Thanks for sharing.

It's for any reason up to 12 weeks and for fatal fetal conditions there's no limit.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-politics-52068193

Currently it's been kicked into the long grass, NI women are supposed to still go though NHS England and can't access the abortion pill at home during the crisis -Robin Swann has said it has to go though the executive to allow that due to the sensitivity of the issue

One step forward and two steps back it seems, terrible that women will be totally stuck. Sensitivity my arse, they are try to delay, bastards

I remember during the repeal the 8th movement someone saying on here that abortion wasn’t legal in England, just decriminalised, and that the doctors had a ‘workaround’ in that they would always state mental health of the mother as the reason. Is that not true then? I remember they were very insistent.
Great news for women in NI, and great news it’s happened at such a shit time, where people are no longer in a position to travel.

Here’s to hoping that they’re making it accessible though in these times

Brilliant news!

The law in England is that it has to be safer for the woman to have an an abortion than not. However due to the risks of pregnancy, in practise that is always true.

It's a classic English fudge...

Great news

💖

There was a time when I honestly thought I would never see this day in NI. So many are still so openly opposed. Women called vile names as soon as the word abortion is mentioned. Thank goodness for progress.