Northern Ireland Under Pressure for Criminally Prosecuting Women for Abortion

Independent (April 12, 2016): The UK's abortion shame: Northern Ireland urged to stop prosecuting women under abortion ban, by Sioban Fenton:

Northern Ireland is under pressure for recent criminal prosecutions of women for abortions.  Earlier this month, a 21 year old woman pled guilty to procuring her own abortion and  received a three month suspended sentence.  She became pregnant at age 19 and could not raise the money to to travel to England to have a legal abortion.  Instead, she purchased medication over the internet to self-induce an abortion. She was reported to authorities by her housemates. 

A second woman is due to stand trial in Belfast on April 27 for helping her daughter access pills to induce an abortion.  Local media has reported the prosecutors are considering bringing two additional cases for illegal abortions.

Although Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, the UK's 1967 Abortion Act, does not apply there.  Instead an 1861 act criminalizing abortion remains in effect, and abortions are only legal if a woman's life or mental health is in danger.  As a result, many women travel to England for abortions if they can afford the travel costs.

The UK has been criticized by the UN Human Rights Committee which has recommended that Northern Ireland's abortion law be amended.  Leading MPs also have criticized the prosecutions and advocate ending the criminalization of women.  MP Liz Kendall stated: 

We must end the criminalisation of women in Northern Ireland who, often in desperate circumstances, decide to terminate their pregnancy. Currently, women wishing to terminate a pregnancy are either forced to travel to other parts of the UK, or, if they don’t have the money, attempt an abortion themselves, putting their safety at risk. That is no choice. Women in Northern Ireland should have access to safe abortions, in hospitals or clinics, like women in the rest of the UK.

In an effort to highlight the inequality of Northern Ireland's current law, Claire Bailey, Deputy leader of the Green party has said she is considering proposing legislation that would allow the prosecution of men under a new criminal offense of "reckless conception."