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Abortion: Assembly to debate recent changes to NI laws
Jun 2, 2020
The assembly will debate a motion later that seeks to reject recent changes to Northern Ireland's abortion laws.
New legislation drafted by the Northern Ireland Office took affect in March, after a vote at Westminster in 2019 .
Tuesday's debate will see the DUP and Sinn Féin oppose different aspects of the legislation.
The motion, if approved, will not change the law, but Arlene Foster said it would "send a message" that Stormont does not support the regulations.
Her party, the DUP, which is staunchly opposed to abortion, has proposed the debate. It wants the assembly to create its own legislation and overturn the laws enforced by Westminster.
New chapter for abortion in NI but questions remain
Under the new regulations from 31 March, abortion is permitted in all circumstances in Northern Ireland in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
A limit of 24 weeks applies in situations where continuing the pregnancy would involve risk of injury to the woman's physical or mental health.
No time limit applies in cases of fatal fetal abnormality, where there is a substantial risk that the fetus would die or, if born, would suffer a severe mental or physical impairment.
That element of the law has been interpreted by some as meaning terminations could be carried out with no time limit, in cases of Down's syndrome, cleft palate or club foot.
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