Abortion amendment set to be blocked by petition of concern

The amendment to the Justice Bill has been proposed by the DUP's Alastair Ross

A petition of concern has been submitted to block an amendment to the Justice Bill due to be debated on Tuesday.

The amendment would have tightened the law in Northern Ireland relating to abortion.

It has been proposed by the DUP chair of the justice committee, Alastair Ross, on behalf of the committee.

The petition of concern has been backed by assembly members from Sinn Fein, the Green Party and Alliance.

The amendment proposed making any person who ends the life of an unborn child subject to a prison sentence, unless their actions were lawfully performed at a health and social care trust property such as a hospital or elsewhere if the circumstances were urgent and without a fee.

Safety

Mr Ross told BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra the amendment would ensure "adequate protection for people" who would use facilities offering terminations.

"What the amendment does is actually ensure that there is adequate regulation," he said.

"And where there are organisations offering termination procedures in Northern Ireland that are not properly regulated then it would prohibit them from doing so, so it's around a public safety issue."

Two years ago, another amendment that would have banned private clinics like Marie Stopes was blocked by a similar petition of concern.

Mr Ross said the committee felt there was a need to bring to an amendment forward again.

"The main criticism at that time was that there wasn't adequate consultation on the issue.

"Now there has been adequate consultation and that's why the majority of members on the committee felt it was appropriate to bring it back to the floor of the house."

Currently Northern Ireland's Marie Stopes clinic is able to provide women with medical terminations, by means of a pill, during the first nine weeks of their pregnancies.

Guidance

Amnesty International has said women's health care should not be a matter for criminal sanction.

Grainne Teggart from the human rights organisation Amnesty International said politicians needed to understand they "had a duty to women in Northern Ireland".

"What this amendment represents is an attempt to introduce further barriers to women accessing lawful abortion service in Northern Ireland," Ms Teggart said.

"At a time when women have no clear pathway into the NHS because there is no guidance from the department of health - despite that previously being court ordered - really what women need is an alternative.

"At the moment that's provided by Marie Stopes."

At present, abortion is only legal in Northern Ireland if a woman's life is at risk or if there is a risk of permanent or serious damage to her mental or physical health.

The situation differs from the rest of the UK, because the 1967 Abortion Act has never been extended to Northern Ireland.