Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis has set regulations in Westminster offering him the capacity to direct Stormont to commission diplomatic services.
The regulations create an immediate reference to the recommendations contained in paragraphs 85 and 86 of that a 2018 report on Northern Ireland from the UN Committee on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
Northern Ireland’s traditionally restrictive abortion regime has been eased around one year ago through Westminster laws in the lack of a working Northern Ireland Executive.
Human rights campaigners have been fiercely critical of the devolved government’s failure to fund and commission abortion services regardless of the shift in law, along with also the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) recently established legal actions over the topic.
Grainne Teggart, Northern Ireland attempts director at Amnesty International, stated:”Yet again, girls and women in Northern Ireland have been neglected by the inaction of both Stormont Ministers. And once more, activity at Westminster is essential to guarantee abortion rights have been realised in Northern Ireland.
“It is not too late to the Health Minister to perform his job and supply access to legal abortion services for those who want them. It’s correct that the Secretary of State exercises his powers to terminate this unacceptable refusal of health care “
