Challenging Northern Ireland’s abortion laws

‘Each time I re-live the trauma. I hope this will be the last time I have to go to court and prove that women like me should be able to access abortion services at home,’

-Sarah Ewart

The Abortion Act 1967 arguably liberalised Britain but was never extended to Northern Ireland. Termination in Northern Ireland is only permitted if a woman’s life is at risk or if there is a risk of permanent and serious damage to her mental or physical health. Factors like incest, rape or diagnoses of fatal foetal abnormality (FFA) where medics believe that a baby will die, during or shortly after birth, are not grounds for a legal abortion.

At her 20-week scan, Sarah Ewart was informed by doctors that her unborn child had anencephaly and there was no sign of a skull. However, as there was no risk to Mrs. Ewart’s own life, she was told she would have to continue with the pregnancy until miscarriage. Mrs. Ewart travelled to England for an abortion but has since then been campaigning for women to be given access to termination without leaving Northern Ireland.

Mrs. Ewart has begun her High Court challenge. Mrs. Ewart’s legal team argues that the law in Northern Ireland which prohibits abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormality was in breach of Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights.  The court case of Mrs. Ewart comes after MPs were told a 12-year-old rape victim in Northern Ireland was forced to travel to England under police escort for an abortion. In fact, Amnesty International is calling for liberalisation of the stringent rules as the organisation suggests that more than 900 women travelled to England and Wales for the procedure during the same period.