LONDON — Northern Irelands abortion laws breach the U.K.s human rights commitments, the High Court in Belfast ruled Thursday.
The ruling comes as the U.K. prepares to implement new legislation to decriminalize abortion in Northern Ireland.
Abortion is currently only permitted if a womans life is at risk or if there is a risk of serious and permanent damage to the womans mental or physical health.
The case was brought by Sarah Ewart who was denied an abortion in Northern Ireland in 2013 despite being told that her baby had a fatal diagnosis. She traveled to England for the abortion.
In the ruling, the judge deemed that “the abortion law in Northern Ireland is incompatible with Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights,” adding there would be a further hearing to determine the compensation due.
In July, the U.K. parliament agreed to decriminalize abortion iRead More – Source
