Abortion law in Northern Ireland Contents

Contents

Committee information

Summary

1 Background

Why an inquiry?

Terms of reference

About the inquiry

Use of terms

2 Development of law and policy on abortion in Northern Ireland

The current law

Chronology

What we know about the current situation

Women and girls accessing abortion in public hospitals in Northern Ireland

Women and girls travelling to access abortion provision

UK Government funding for women and girls to access abortion in England

Women and girls in Northern Ireland purchasing abortion pills online

Prosecutions

3 Public and political opinion and religious beliefs

Petitions supporting the existing law on abortion

Social attitudes to abortion

Public opinion

Religious beliefs

Political opinion

Northern Ireland Assembly decisions

Political parties in Northern Ireland

4 Devolution in Northern Ireland

5 Responsibility under international human rights obligations

Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women

European Convention on Human Rights

Remedying the breach of human rights in cases of rape or incest

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

6 Information for healthcare professionals and women and girls

Guidance for health and social care professionals on termination of pregnancy in Northern Ireland

Draft guidance published for consultation in 2013

Finalised guidance published in 2016

Doctors’ duty of care to their patients

Doctors’ duty of confidentiality to their patients

Information provided to women and girls by healthcare professionals

Information about UK Government funding for women and girls to access free abortion in England

Information for parents about the remains of a foetus or unborn child

7 Marginalised women and girls

8 Fatal foetal abnormality

The Working Group on Fatal Fetal Abnormality

9 Postcode lottery of provision

Lack of aftercare

Inconsistency in the provision of services

10 Our conclusions and recommendations

Appendix

Formal minutes

Witnesses

Published written evidence

List of Reports from the Committee during the current Parliament




Published: 25 April 2019