In
an unexpected move, Northern Ireland’s Legislative Assembly will vote next week
on legislation to legalize abortion. Two amendments introduced to pending
legislation would change existing law to permit abortion in cases of rape and
when the unborn child is diagnosed with a disability. The legislative move
follows a High Court ruling in December in which Justice Horner claimed that
the country’s laws protecting life were “incompatible” with the EU’s
non-binding Convention on Human Rights, but that it would be “a step too far”
for him to change the law through the Court’s interpretation. Rather, he
ruled, it was an issue for the Northern Ireland Assembly to decide.
Now,
three pro-abortion MLAs have quickly and quietly introduced two surprise
amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill under consideration by the Assembly.
One amendment offered by MLAs Trevor Lunn and Stewart Dickson from the Alliance
Party would legalize abortion for unborn children “with life-limiting
conditions” up to birth, and another from MLA Steven Agnew would permit
abortion in cases of rape. Both are expected to be voted on next Tuesday.
Bernadette Smyth, Director of Precious Life in Northern
Ireland, stated,
“If these pro-abortion politicians get their way on Tuesday 9th February,
the most vulnerable and defenceless unborn children will be torn violently from
their mother’s womb or ‘delivered early’ and left struggling for breath in a
cold and dark utility room until they die. And this would only be the
beginning. As certain as the sun rises in the morning, these so-called ‘limited
exceptions’ would give way to abortion on demand.”
Liam Gibson, SPUC's Northern Ireland
development officer, responded to the news stating,
"Perhaps the most shocking aspect of this attack on the rights of
unborn children is its timing. Last November a High Court judge ruled that
human rights law permits the abortion of seriously disabled babies or those
said to be conceived in rape. But that decision is being challenged in the
Court of Appeal. Without waiting to see if the judgement will be overturned, a
number of radically pro-abortion politicians are now trying to rush through
legislation which is discriminatory, vague and could potentially introduce
widespread abortion. It is a mockery of the legislative process to table
proposals on such an important issue just one week before a vote.”
Smyth
sends a strong message to pro-life people in Northern Ireland to “put pressure on every MLA in your constituency to vote against these evil
amendments.”
In explaining political party positions on the
pro-abortion amendments she states, “I have just
come off the radio after doing a debate on the BBC Stephen Nolan Show where I
exposed the evil plans of the Alliance Party and the Green Party. What
concerned me the most after doing the debate was that the only parties who had
made a clear statement in opposition to these proposed amendments were the TUV
and David McNarry from UKIP. As I write this letter to you I am awaiting a
statement from the DUP and SDLP. It would be a total disaster for the future of
this pro-life nation if these political parties who had protected our unborn
children for decades were to buckle under the pressure of the media and
pro-abortion forces who will stop at nothing to bring abortion on demand into
Northern Ireland.”
An
intense lobby effort is underway until the vote on February 9.
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