North’s ‘highly restrictive’ abortion laws criticised by UN committee

A United Nations committee has expressed concern about Northern Ireland’s “highly restrictive” abortion laws in a report.

The UN's Human Rights Committee also raised concern over stalled efforts to introduce new mechanisms to deal with the legacy of the Troubles.

“The committee is concerned about the highly restricted circumstances in which termination of pregnancy is permitted under the law in Northern Ireland,” the UN committee said, “and about the severe criminal sanctions for unlawful abortion, thus putting women’s life and health at risk and forcing them to travel in order to seek abortion.”– (PA)