London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 15, 2025

UK govt steps in to ensure abortion services in Northern Ireland are fully implemented by end of March 2022

UK govt steps in to ensure abortion services in Northern Ireland are fully implemented by end of March 2022

Westminster has directed the Northern Irish authorities to implement full abortion services by the end of next March, after the region failed to do so despite a 2019 referendum that decriminalised the termination of pregnancy.

On Thursday, the UK Secretary for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis, issued a formal direction to Stormont’s Department of Health, calling on it to implement full abortion services for women no later than by the end of March 2022. Lewis had said he had “no choice” but to use special measures to start the process of improving the standard and accessibility of abortion services in Northern Ireland.


Abortion was decriminalised in the region in October 2019, following a referendum on the issue, with termination becoming legal in March 2020. Despite the changes in law, Lewis noted that women were still unable to access abortions safely in the country, over a year and a half later, however.

The secretary of state said it was his “legal and moral obligation” to ensure that access to abortion services was as straightforward and accessible as elsewhere in the UK.

“At the heart of this matter are the women and girls in Northern Ireland, who have been, and continue to be, denied the same reproductive rights as women in the rest of the UK.”


Lewis used special powers on Thursday to issue the direction Abortion (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2021. The statutory instrument was passed to ensure the Northern Irish government complies with the law.

While he acknowledged that the pandemic may have slowed down the implementation of abortion services in Northern Ireland, Lewis nevertheless said he remained “extremely disappointed” at the slow pace of change and lack of dialogue on the issue with the region’s Health Department.

There was a significant decrease in women travelling from Northern Ireland to England and Wales for an abortion in 2021, according to UK government data. Only some 371 made the journey for the purposes of an abortion in comparison to 1,014 in 2019. While the abortion law has taken effect in Northern Ireland, some medical practices refuse to carry out terminations after 10 weeks, however, resulting in women still having to travel abroad if they don’t wish to continue with a pregnancy at a later stage.

A spokesperson for a pro-choice Northern Irish organization ‘Alliance for Choice’ praised the intervention, saying in a statement: “Finally, long overdue abortion services can take their place within healthcare in Northern Ireland.”

“We remain hopeful that people will no longer have to endure the degradation of forced travel to England or navigating a precarious and limited service,” they added.

Conservative politicians of the Democratic Unionist Party, on the other hand, did not rejoice in Lewis’ move. Carla Lockhart, a DUP Member of Parliament in Westminster, called for the legislation that decriminalised terminations to be repealed, posting on Twitter that “abortion harms the voiceless, the most vulnerable in our society.”


 Northern Ireland was one of the last countries in Europe with a ban on abortion. Gibraltar, a British overseas territory on the tip of southern Spain, recently voted to make abortion legal up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. Andorra and Malta still have strict abortion laws, where it is illegal for women to terminate pregnancies even if the mother’s life is at risk.


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
×