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BELFAST CITY COUNCIL have passed a motion to decriminalise women who use abortion pills.
The motion comes ahead of a court case next month involving a mother who is being prosecuted for buying abortion pills for her teenage daughter.
With specific reference to abortion pills, the motion proposed:
“…The Council believes that abortion should be regulated like any other medical care and not by criminal law, while still enabling incidents of malpractice to be addressed, as with any other health service, through the general criminal law or medical disciplinary procedures.
“A woman who has an abortion is not a criminal, nor are healthcare professionals who care for them, and the law should not treat them as such.”
It passed with 34 votes for, 16 against and 5 non-votes, according to Amnesty’s campaign manager for Northern Ireland, Grainne Teggart.
In a statement earlier today, Amnesty International said it supported the motion, criticising the North’s abortion laws as “the harshest criminal penalties in Europe”. Someone who helps carry out an abortion in the North can face up to life in prison.
The motion has been proposed by Councillor Kate Nicholl of Alliance Party and seconded by Councillor Mary Ellen Campbell of Sinn Féin.
Councillor Campbell said tonight that “it is wrong to criminalise women who choose to have an abortion… [and] also wrong to criminalise those healthcare professionals who have a duty of care to vulnerable patients”.
The criminal law on abortion is grounded in a legislation dating back to 1861 and can carry a lengthy sentence.
In practise, this means a terrified teenager who buys abortion pills online because she feels she can’t confide in her family GP, can face jail time.
She said that the criminal law attached to abortion “has a chilling effect” on medical practice and on doctors willingness to authorise terminations.
“The threat of prosecution, that is unique to abortion, also deters doctors from wanting to enter the realm of women’s healthcare or train in this area.
This is about compassion and it is about trust. And I trust women.
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And that’s why we are the Republic of Ireland. The people get to vote.
@Rosie Murray: it’s taken a long time to get to this point and there is a legal challenge from Nirthern Ireland which could potentially defer the Referendum.
Or, more accurately, from a person living in Northerm Ireland.
@Michael Lang: it won’t defer the ref, one way or another the ref is happening.
I know democracy is upsetting for many pro life people but we’re voting on this issue and we have the right to do so for the sake of health care for women.
@Barry Somers: I hope that you are right.
It would be wrong if the Courts usurp the holding of a Referendum but Counsel for the Applicant drew attention to a challenge to the validity of the Referendum.
@Barry Somers: there wasn’t real democracy there though was there? It wasn’t put to the people? That was my point. Here in the Republic the people will get to vote themselves about important matters. Hopefully give the silent unborn a voice.
@Barry Somers: in fairness I doubt democracy is upsetting for anybody but as they say don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story………
@Rosie Murray: they, the foetus, had a voice back in 1983. It’s now time for pregnant women to have the opportunity of a Vince and a right to decide within clear constraints.
Correction, the opportunity of a voice and a right to decide.
@Michael Lang: it’s time for a population not hindered by control of the Catholic church holy Joe’s, to have its mature and modern vote. Should that vote be a no,while not knowing anyone who would consider themselves ‘pro abortion,’ and I firmly believe it doesn’t work like that ,it would be a disaster for women in crisis pregnancy but it would be the decision the republic had made.
@I,Seanie: the level of control by the Roman Catholic Church has diminished but there will still be a hard core of at least 20% of voters who will vote as directed by the Roman Catholic Church.
@Rosie Murray: its not being put to the people?
Do you actually understand we’re voting 9n this issue in May?
So, since you are here and will clearly be voting no its evident you think abortions are wrong. So answer me this, do you think women should be banned from travelling to the UK for abortions?
Do you agree that the 13th amendment should be removed from our constitution?
@Michael Lang: this I am in no doubt of ,considering the results of the same sex marriage vote and some of the dreadful individuals I had the misfortune of meeting while canvassing then (why do we remember the insults !)
@I,Seanie: I was verbally abused when canvassing for the Same Sex civil marriage Referendum and some of the condemnation was in strong religious terms. This was in an urban area.
I looked at the Submissions to the Citizens Assembly. A rough estimate of the Submissions on the Pro-Life side was that just over 50% of them were explicitly religious, Roman Catholic.
Nominally about 78% of the voting population are Roman Catholic but the true zealots are as low as 20%.
@Michael Lang: I got away fairly unscathed when compared ,I suppose I mean many contributions from conservatives ,just so deeply misled also cut deep and while we’re told to respect elders ,i think ppl need to take some responsibility that hiding behind faith is not an excuse – they’re bigots through a d through.
@Rosie Murray: don’t be feeling too morally smug there Rosie!Your so called Republic presided over mother and baby homes,banned contraception for decades and maintained/maintains a ridiculously cosy relationship with the Catholic Church.not to mention the way it treats it’s most vulnerable in society in the present day,which is absolutely shameful by the way.
Northern Ireland is far from ideal but the so called Republic is no utopia either.
@Adam O’Donoghue: and in relation to this article, I think its awful that a council decided on something without putting it to their people. Something that is very important to a lot of people. Do you see now how once something is removed from constitution, legislation can be changed without putting it to the people??
@Rosie Murray: The referendum is a delaying tactic by the conservative southern government. A majority in the north across the community divide support the decriminalisation of abortion – not that you should ever have to wait for the permission of others to make decisions about what happens to your body.
34 to 16 for the Motion. That’s a truly decisive majority.
Tonight Repeal poll is running at 55% for and a lot of undecided voters. It will be extremely close either way.
@Michael Lang: the mary hennessy poll has it at 61% abortion against in the republic of ireland
@Arron King: never heard of it.
@Arron King: Hairy Menacy?
I believe that the wording of the changes to be inserted in the constitution should have been locked down prior the the Referendum because it hasn’t been I will be voting No in the up coming referendum for the simple fact is that nobody can guarantee what will be finally decided on if the vote is Yes……..
@Sean Higgins: whatever the wording is Sean, the matter of abortion will be ‘finally decided’ by the woman so #TrustWomen
@The Risen: fair enough and I understand the need for abortion in certain circumstances but I also feel I have a responsibility to speak up for the unborn in other circumstances. That’s my opinion and I am delighted we live in a Republic where we all get a say and whether or not we agree with the outcome we have to respect the will of the majority………
@Sean Higgins: Referendum first. Legislation second.
@Michael Lang: ah yes, let’s leave it up to the politicians, that always ends well……..
@Sean Higgins: we elect them. I’m not willing to throw out representative democracy even though some politicians are bullied and harassed by the extremists on the pro-life side.
@Sean Higgins: what about the women who have been raped and are pregnant. Will you stand up for them? Or about the school kids who are buying abortion pills online and taking them unsupervised
@Brian Madden: please read my comment above ^
@Sean Higgins: that sounds a bit like a cop out. You don’t have to be pro abortion (who is!) to want to repeal the 8th.
I downloaded and analysed the statistics from the UK. That showed me that almost all abortions are carried out early in pregnancy and are a very rare event for a woman.
But you have to be happy with the status quo if you’re voting no. Happy with shipping the problem to the UK and happy with forcing women to stay pregnant even if it means they can’t receive potentially lifesaving medical treatment
@Sean Higgins: I am inclined to agree. I think the current wording undermines everything the constitution represents, a tool to keep the legislature in check. It sets a dangerous precedent for future referenda. If it’s intended to be up to 12 weeks, put in 12 weeks.
I don’t believe that it is right, fair, just, proper or decent for pregnant women or their relatives to be prosecuted for sourcing or using abortion pills.
It’s good that Belfast is showing us the way.
Well done to those that voted for this on the council.
Have had a few pro life people calling to the door recently. Found it strange that when asked, none of them had adopted any of these babies they’re so keen to force women to have.
@Bearded Grump: why should they take in all the unwanted babies of other peoples actions? Same old smokescreen from the pro abortion side. It’s not killing a baby, it’s “healthcare”. No one is forcing people to have babies, you had a choice when getting into bed. (Que the rape a incest argument…) less then 1% of abortions come after rape. There’s always the morning after pill also. I grew up in the uk for 19 years. By the time I was 20 every woman I knew had at least 1 abortion. Some 2 and one was on her third. None from rape or incest. All were retrospective birth control from unsafe actions. Abortion comes with its ow health risks and can result in infertility.
Here are 4 choices (and I don’t care what a woman does with her body – it’s the little body she’s trying to kill that concerns me):
1: contraception
2: motherhood
3: abstenance
4: adoption
@Shane Byrne: these “friends” of yours don’t exist, do they?
@Shane Byrne: how about men using contraception
@Shane Byrne: absolutely tripe!! I’m Scottish born and bred and I know of 1 person who had an abortion 1!!!!! I know plenty of really young mothers and grannies for that matter. I highly doubt your tale of every woman you knew had an abortion, it’s not something talked about freely so I doubt all the ladies you knew were telling a 19 year old lad their “termination stories” now stop making stuff up!!!!
@Shane Byrne: You should choose your “friends” more wisely. “By the time I was 20 every woman I knew had at least 1 abortion. Some 2 and one was on her third.” Joke aside – that is just a ridiculous lie.
@Shane Byrne: I lived in the UK for thirty years and not once did a female friend confide in me that she had an abortion, but oddly enough, every woman you knew in the UK told you they had had at least one. There is only one thing I can surmise from this, you are a liar. Why would you feel the need to make things up or are you really a “nurse” called Noel?
@Shane Byrne: so because less than 1% of abortions happen after rape we should just ignore them? Very compassionate of you.
I’ll have to fact check that number though, given the total fabrication that is the rest of your comment.
P.S. I’m not pro abortion, I wouldn’t imagine many people are.
When a man wants to break the law, he must face the consequences and go to jail. When a women wants to break the law, that law is wrong and must be changed to suit her at all costs.
@Neal Ireland Hello.: nobody faces any consequences for wanting to break the law. They must be found guilty of actually breaking the law. Also, many laws have been repealed to benefit men: contraception, divorce, same-sex marriage, homosexuality, holy hour, good Friday pubs open, and many more. In short, you’re talking sh i te.
@Neal Ireland Hello.: would you cop on. What an absolutely ridiculous comment.
Is a right to life that does not respect bodily inviolability a right to life at all? What use is a right to life if people have the right to harvest even a cupful of blood from you to save the life of another whether you consent or not?
Pro-life claim to respect the right to life of the mother equally with that of her baby even if only a few weeks into pregnancy. When you put it that way you see they would let a mother die over something that may be too undeveloped to have a right to life the same as she has. It is obvious their lives cannot be equally valuable.
The Vatican likes to be seen as a paragon of pro-life virtue doesn’t it? What would happen if people knew what happened during the civil war in the Congo in 1966? Black soldiers occupied many Catholic convents and some of the white nuns were left pregnant by them. The Vatican organised that these women be given surgeries for various problems – in fact the surgeries never happened. What really happened was abortions were performed on Vatican instructions. This was covered up.
While he is talking absolute nonsense, I think you’ll find most of the laws you mention benefit both sexes.
@Bearded Grump: I didn’t say they didn’t, did I?
@Joey Navinski:
“Also, many laws have been repealed to benefit men”
You kind of did….
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