Sinn Féin members vote in favour of safe and legal abortion access in Northern Ireland

18 June, 2018

Members of Sinn Féin, one of the major political parties in Northern Ireland, have voted to support reform of Northern Ireland’s restrictive abortion law, that would see women given safe and legal access to reproductive health care services, at the party’s annual conference in Belfast. Delegates supported a motion calling for a GP-controlled system which would allow abortions for a ‘limited gestational period’. Northern Ireland Humanists has welcomed Sinn Féin’s change of policy, which is representative of a wider recognition of women’s sexual and reproductive rights across the island of Ireland.

Sinn Féin’s policy change follows the result of the Republic of Ireland’s abortion referendum last month, where voters supported two-to-one repeal of the Republic of Ireland’s near-total ban on abortion. Sinn Féin has also previously committed to legislating to allow legal access to abortion services where the pregnancy has arisen from cases of rape, incest, or there is a diagnosis of fatal foetal abnormality.

The policy change follows on from the SDLP voting the week before the referendum to remain an anti-abortion policy corporately but to allow elected representatives to take different stances as a matter of conscience. The UUP and Alliance Party do not have a policy on abortion but allow individual members to follow their conscience. The Green Party and People Before Profit Alliance are pro-choice. The DUP and Traditional Unionist Voice are anti-choice.

The law governing abortion in Northern Ireland is one of the most restrictive in Europe and the criminal sanctions imposed are amongst the harshest in the world, with the maximum sentence being life imprisonment. Current restrictions force women to either travel to the UK to receive treatment, risk prosecution for procuring illegal online abortion pills, or continue their pregnancies against their wishes and in violation of their rights. There is no exception made for pregnancies that arise as a result of sexual crime or where there is a diagnosis of fatal foetal abnormality.

Humanists UK, of which Northern Ireland Humanists is a part, was the First Intervener in the recent Supreme Court case in which the judges agreed that the current abortion restrictions in Northern Ireland, in the cases of rape, incest, and fatal foetal abnormality, breach human rights, and called for immediate ‘radical reconsideration.’

Northern Ireland Humanists Coordinator Boyd Sleator commented, ‘We welcome Sinn Féin’s new policy supporting the reform of Northern Ireland’s cruel and archaic abortion laws. Change is vital for all those who have suffered gravely as a result of the current restrictions on abortion and we hope that this new policy helps towards bringing about this much-needed change.

‘The DUP is now the only major party in Northern Ireland to have an anti-abortion policy. They received just 28% of the vote at the last Assembly election, compared to 66% going to parties with more progressive policies. It’s also clear from polling that most Northern Ireland people want reform. On such an important human rights matter, the UK Parliament must step in and deliver this.’

Notes

For further comment or information, please contact Humanists UK Campaigns Officer Rachel Taggart-Ryan on rachel@humanists.uk or 07951 176 245, or Northern Ireland Humanists Coordinator Boyd Sleator on boyd.sleator@nihumanists.org or on 07470 395090

Read more about Humanists UK’s work on abortion: https://humanists.uk/campaigns/public-ethical-issues/sexual-and-reproductive-rights/

At Humanists UK, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness prevail. Our work brings non-religious people together to develop their own views, helping people be happier and more fulfilled in the one life we have. Through our ceremonies, education services, and community and campaigning work, we strive to create a fair and equal society for all.

Northern Ireland Humanists is a part of Humanists UK, working with the Humanist Association of Ireland.