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WORLD NEWS Friday 8 June 2018

UK Supreme Court criticizes Northern Ireland abortion laws

By GREGORY KATZ only remaining region in
Associated Press Britain and Ireland to out-
LONDON (AP) — Britain's Su- law the procedure.
preme Court on Thursday Rosa Curling, from the law
criticized Northern Ireland's firm Leigh Day that helped
strict anti-abortion laws bring the legal challenge,
but dismissed a legal chal- called the court's ruling "a
lenge. momentous day for wom-
A majority of the court de- en in Northern Ireland" and
cided that the Northern said it is now up to British
Ireland Human Rights Com- Prime Minister Theresa May
mission, which initiated the to take action to ease the
case, did not have the laws.
standing to bring the chal- She said May has an ob-
lenge to the abortion law. ligation to make sure the
The court dismissed the U.K. government is "now
case without taking action. longer acting unlawfully by
The justices went on to say, breaching the human rights
however, that a major- of women across Northern
ity finds Northern Ireland's Ireland."
abortion prohibitions "dis- However, the fact that the
proportionate" and that Supreme Court dismissed
they violate European hu- the case because of
man rights laws. Northern Ireland campaigner for Amnesty International Grainne Teggart, right and campaigner doubts about the Human
That part of the ruling gave Sarah Ewart, centre, stand outside the Supreme Court, in Westminster. Rights Commission's right to
hope to abortion rights ac- Associated Press bring it means the judges'
tivists seeking to liberalize views on the anti-abortion
Northern Ireland's laws. result of incest or rape, and the Republic of Ireland vot- constitutional ban with laws do not have legal
Strict Northern Ireland laws in cases when the fetus has ed overwhelmingly in May more liberal legislation af- force, which is reassuring
that prohibit abortions in a likely fatal abnormality, to repeal its own strict laws. ter a debate in parliament, for abortion foes.
cases of pregnancy as a have drawn scrutiny since When Ireland replaces the Northern Ireland will be the q