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UK Wedding News

16/09/2016

Minister To Bring Abortion Bill To Assembly

David Ford, Northern Ireland's former Justice Minister, has said he is to bring forward legislation to Stormont which will seek to legalise abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities.

Speaking to BBC's The View programme, the leader of the Alliance Party said that women should be able to make their own decision on the matter.

He said: "What I want to do is exactly what I wanted to do as minister and was blocked by the executive."

He added that he wanted something "which would allow abortion in the case of a fatal foetal abnormality where two doctors certified no prospect of a viable life."

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The call for a change in the region's legislation has been renewed after paediatric pathologist Dr Caroline Gannon resigned earlier this week over interventions by the Attorney General on the issue. The law is currently being considered by the Court of Appeal.

Unlike the rest of the UK, the 1967 Abortion Act does not extend to Northern Ireland. Currently, an abortion 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.

In February of this year, MLAs voted against legalising abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormality. A fatal foetal abnormality diagnosis means that doctors believe an unborn child has a terminal condition and will die in the womb or shortly after birth.

(JP/LM)

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"David Ford, Northern Ireland's former Justice Minister, has said he is to bring forward legislation to Stormont which will seek to legalise abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities."