2 votes Northern Ireland set to reform abortion laws for the first time in 70 years The region’s Justice Minister, David Ford, announced plans to allow abortions in the case of a fatal fetal abnormality. Abortion laws in Northern Ireland are set to be reformed for the first time in 70 years, to allow pregnancy terminations in limited cases. Northern Ireland's Justice Minister, David Ford, announced that he will propose that pregnancy terminations are made available in the case of a fetus suffering from a fatal abnormality, that wouldn't survive when outside the womb. After opening a public consultation, in January, asking the people to submit their views on a possible reform of the abortion laws in very specific cases, the Justice Minister and Alliance Party leader, David Ford, was convinced that "changing the law is the right thing to do". The Justice Minister will now ask the North Ireland Executive for approval to draft the legislation, which will then require a vote by the Northern Irish Parliament, in Stormont. Minister David Ford explained that his department won't be asking to allow terminations in the case of a victim of rape or incest. This law to allow pregnancy terminations would only Updated on: 17/04/2015 MIGUEL VASCONCELOS (/EDITORIAL STAFF/MIGUELVASCONCELOS/) (/politics/2015/04/photo/photogallerynorthernirelandsettoreformabortionlawsforthe firsttimein70years256993.html) b. (/) POLITICS (/POLITICS/)
Transcript
25/06/2015 Northern Ireland set to reform abortion laws for the first time in 70 years
Northern Ireland set to reform abortion laws for the firsttime in 70 yearsThe region’s Justice Minister, David Ford, announced plans to allow abortions in thecase of a fatal fetal abnormality.
Abortion laws in Northern Ireland are set to be reformed for the first time in 70 years, toallow pregnancy terminations in limited cases. Northern Ireland's Justice Minister, DavidFord, announced that he will propose that pregnancy terminations are made available inthe case of a fetus suffering from a fatal abnormality, that wouldn't survive when outside thewomb.
After opening a public consultation, in January, asking the people to submit their views on apossible reform of the abortion laws in very specific cases, the Justice Minister andAlliance Party leader, David Ford, was convinced that "changing the law is the right thing todo". The Justice Minister will now ask the North Ireland Executive for approval to draft thelegislation, which will then require a vote by the Northern Irish Parliament, in Stormont.
Minister David Ford explained that his department won't be asking to allow terminations inthe case of a victim of rape or incest. This law to allow pregnancy terminations would only
Updated on: 17/04/2015
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apply to "the limited cases of a fetal abnormality which is likely to cause death either before,during or just after birth, and where no treatment other than palliative care could be offeredto improve the chances of survival". He added that in a circumstance like this one, his viewis that "the health and wellbeing of the woman must take priority and the law should makethat clear and offer certainty".
The catholic party Sinn Féin, led by Gerry Adams, active in both the Republic of Ireland andNorthern Ireland, had already dropped its "unconditional opposition" to abortion, last month,during its annual conference in Derry, by voting in favour of changing the party's view andpolicy to allow pregnancy terminations in cases of a fatal fetal abnormality as well.Northern Ireland is still the only part of the UK that doesn't apply the 1967 Abortion Actbut the public and political support to introduce some minor reform to abortion laws, in theregion, seems to now be in place.
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Home Office ordered to bring back deported family by ajudgeThe ruling threatens to undermine the Government’s ‘deport first, appeal later’ policy.
The Home Office has been ordered to bring back a deported Nigerian family, in agroundbreaking court ruling that threatens to undermine the Government's "deport first,appeal later" policy. The ruling by Mr. Justice Cranston, from the Upper Tribunal of theImmigration and Asylum Chamber, forces Theresa May's office to locate and bring back thefamily of two, until Thursday, to avoid facing contempt of court charges.
The judge criticised the Home Office's "flawed" decision(http://uk.blastingnews.com/politics/2015/01/changestoukterrorismlawmayweakentheindependentscrutinyofbillsonantiterror00238049.html) to send a child and its 45yearold Nigerian mother back to their native country, in January, citing evidence of the woman'spoor mental health and the potential risk, of such a decision, to her and the child. Thewoman came to the UK illegally, in 1991, and applied for asylum in 2010, eight monthsafter her child was born, claiming fear of destitution in Nigeria but her asylum claim hasbeen repeatedly denied.
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Justice Cranston found that "the Secretary of State failed to have regard to the child's bestinterests as a primary consideration" which could set a precedent that places the interestsand wellbeing of a child as "the primary consideration" in deportation orders(http://uk.blastingnews.com/politics/2015/01/criminalaidjudgementdelayed00240311.html), even if their parents' cases have been rejected or quashed.
Charities and campaigners welcomed the decision that can undermine the Government'selection pledge to extend a "deport first, appeal later" scheme to all immigrationappeals and asylum claims under judicial review. This scheme was initially introduced,last July, to prevent foreign offenders appealing their sentence to delay their removal fromthe UK. The Government has announced that more than 300 people have already beenremoved since then and proposes, in their election manifesto, to extend the same schemeto all asylum seekers and migrants, that would be automatically sent back to their nativecountry unless they could prove being at risk of "irreversible harm". Justice Cranston'sruling raises new questions over the practicality, credibility, and legality of such a policy.
The Home Office has been granted an appeal to Mr. Justice Cranston's decision, to beheard today, at the Court of Appeal.
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SNP wants PrimeMinister to go further on devolutionafter landslide victory in ScotlandScottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon calls for further tax and welfare powers to bedevolved to Scotland.
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The PrimeMinister will be facing pressure, including from inside his own party, to deliver onfurther devolution to Scotland. The Conservative peer Lord Forsyth claimed Mr. Cameronshould conceded that Scotland had undergone a "revolution" and respond accordingly bydrafting a White Paper on the SNP's demands for full fiscal autonomy. The former LabourChancellor Alistair Darling admitted that the Smith Commission proposals were "completelyovertaken by events" and went as far as to propose a "federal solution" involving an evendistribution of powers to Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
During the weekend, the PrimeMinister David Cameron ruled out the possibility of anotherindependence referendum in Scotland(http://uk.blastingnews.com/politics/2015/05/cameronsconservativesconquer00385219.html), claiming that even the SNP was not pushing for one. Ms. Sturgeonresponded by saying that he has no right to make such claims since the decision willdepend on what "people in Scotland want".
The Scottish First Minister also believes that her party is now providing the main oppositionto the Conservative government (http://uk.blastingnews.com/politics/2015/03/snpwillneverputtoriesintogovernmentsaysfirstminister00326433.html) in Westminster and is alreadyreportedly courting libertarian Tory backbenchers to block important Conservative electionpledges such as the introduction of the Snoopers' Chart or the repeal of the Human RightsAct.
Labour will support Conservative plans for an EUreferendumActing leader Harriet Harman announced the party will drop opposition to Tory plans tohold an EU referendum by 2017
Acting Labour leader, Harriet Harman, said the party will drop its opposition toConservative plans to hold a referendum on Britain's EU membership, by the end of 2017.Ms. Harman explained that Labour shares some of the population's concerns about theneed to change and reform Europe, having reviewed its position on a referendum after"several doorstep conversations during the general election". This marks an abrupt positionchange after former Labour leader Ed Miliband and several other key party figuresvehemently rejected supporting Tory plans to hold an EU referendum(http://uk.blastingnews.com/politics/2015/04/formerpmblairintervenesoneudeparture00340109.html), during the general election.
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The U.S. attorneygeneral, Loretta Lynch, explained that "the indictment alleges rampant,systemic and deeprooted corruption" spanning "over at least two generations of footballofficials who, as alleged, have abused their positions of power to acquire millions of dollarsin bribes and kickbacks". The FIFA officials in question were charged with acceptingbribes worth more than $150 million, transferred through banks in the Cayman Islands and
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Hong Kong, as well as racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering. Among theseven top FIFA officials arrested, on Wednesday morning, at the Baur au Lac hotel, inZurich, are the organization's vicepresidents Jeffrey Webb, of the Cayman Islands, andEugenio Figueredo. If convicted, the men face up to 20 years in prison.
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