Westminster human rights committee urged to prioritise ending Northern Ireland's abortion ban

"We appreciate that abortion is a devolved issue, however human rights are not a devolved issue"

Pro Choice activists rally outside City Hall in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in January (Getty)

Shadow justice minister Jo Stevens has written to Westminster’s human rights committee demanding urgent action to stop Northern Ireland prosecuting women under the abortion ban.

The letter, which urges the committee to address the abortion ban as a “priority”, is co-signed by a number of Labour MPs. It comes after a 21-year-old woman was convicted of having an abortion earlier this month and a second woman is due to stand trial next week accused of helping her daughter to have an abortion. The 1967 Abortion Act does not apply to Northern Ireland and it is a criminal offence to have an abortion in the region.

The letter states: “We believe that there are few more egregious breaches of human rights than the denial of vital healthcare, yet this is the situation for hundreds of thousands of women in Northern Ireland. These women have the right to expect their rights to be recognised and protected by the UK parliament and therefore we ask that you make this situation a priority for your committee.”

The letter argues that although healthcare and justice matters are devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly, human rights issues are not. In November, Northern Ireland’s abortion legislation was ruled a breach of international human rights law by Belfast High Court. However, in February the devolved parliament voted to keep the laws regardless.

The letter states: “These prosecutions are continuing despite a ruling of the high court that Northern Ireland’s abortion laws are incompatible with the UK’s Human Rights Act… We appreciate that abortion is a devolved issue. However, human rights are not a devolved issue.”

It is believed that around 1,000 Northern Irish women travel to Great Britain for an abortion every year. This summer, a court ruled that they were not entitled to free terminations on NHS England and instead have to pay for private procedures. It is feared that a growing number of women may be ordering pills online and performing abortions on themselves in Northern Ireland.