Church leaders speak out on Westminster proposal to change NI abortion laws

By Q Radio News

Church leaders have today spoken out against a Westminster proposal to implement new abortion laws in Northern Ireland. 

The law was liberalised last year to allow terminations in Northern Ireland following action taken at Westminster.

However, while individual health trusts have set up temporary early medical abortion pathways, Northern Ireland-wide services have not yet been commissioned by the Department of Health.

The region’s Health Minister Robin Swann previously said the issue is controversial and therefore he cannot act alone and requires agreement by the Executive.

Brandon Lewis intends to lay new regulations in Parliament next week to allow him to direct Mr Swann’s department to commission the services, the Guardian has reported.

Mr Lewis was reportedly prompted by concerns many women are still travelling to Great Britain to access services.

Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

The Presbyterian Church in Ireland has expressed its ‘grave concern’ at these proposals.

In a statement it said, “The Presbyterian Church in Ireland’s General Council Standing Committee, meeting today, noted with grave concern the proposal of the Secretary for State for Northern Ireland to seek powers to give direction to Northern Ireland’s Department of Health.

“To do so at a time when the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive is functioning, represents a serious undermining of the devolved settlement, when there is already significant tension regarding other aspects of the way Northern Ireland is being affected post Brexit.

“The Presbyterian Church in Ireland objected strongly to the Westminster government previously imposing laws on Northern Ireland that removed the protection of the lives of unborn children. This damaging step was taken over the heads of our elected Assembly, with the excuse given that the devolved institutions were not functioning at that time. No such excuse for the undermining of devolution can be used at this time.

The statement concluded by saying, “The Presbyterian Church calls upon the Secretary of State not to take the step he proposes and to let the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly seek to find a consensus way forward, in line with the principle upon which devolution is founded.”

Revd John McDowell of the Church of Ireland.

The head of the Church of Ireland in Northern Ireland has also spoken out on this matter.

The Most Revd John McDowell, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, said: ‘It is a matter of regret that the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland intends to seek powers from Parliament to give direction to the Department of Health in Northern Ireland around what is clearly a devolved matter.

"There may have been an element of justification for seeking powers of this sort when the Northern Ireland Assembly was not functioning, but such justification manifestly does not apply now.

"This comes at a time when a vast number of Statutory Instruments (particularly in relation to the Northern Ireland/Ireland Protocol) receive minimal or no scrutiny in any form by the Assembly and can only heighten the sense of a democratic deficit around that issue, and do further harm to the sense of the fairness and effectiveness of devolved government.

"I hope that the Secretary of State will bear this in mind when weighing up the best course of action and instead encourage the Assembly to find a constructive way forward."