THE Republic of Ireland last week voted to repeal the law that effectively bans most abortions. Prime minister Leo Varadkar says he hopes new laws will come into effect by the end of 2018.
Many women in Ireland currently travel to England, Wales or Scotland for terminations, or obtain abortion drugs online. This is because of the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland, which gives fetuses rights to life that are equal to those of pregnant woman.
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But campaigns to Repeal the Eighth succeeded by a landslide, with 66.4 per cent voting to relax the laws. It is expected that new legislation would allow abortion in all cases up to 12 weeks of pregnancy, and in some cases later on. In England, Wales and Scotland, most abortions are carried out in the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, with no time limit for terminations when there are serious risks to the woman or fetus.
Focus has now turned to Northern Ireland, where laws remain restrictive. In 2015, Belfast鈥檚 High Court ruled that these laws 鈥� which ban terminations even when the fetus has fatal abnormalities or the woman has become pregnant through rape 鈥� are incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.
UK prime minister Theresa May is facing calls from 160 members of parliament and bodies including the Royal College of Midwives to allow a similar referendum in Northern Ireland. But May鈥檚 government relies on the support of Northern Ireland鈥檚 Democratic Unionist Party, which is in favour of the restrictions on abortion.
This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淚reland votes yes鈥�
