Government uses holiday season for NI abortion consultation

Action: NI residents must respond to the consultation and spread the word. Find it here.

From CFNews: The Northern Ireland executive has launched a consultation on the termination of pregnancy. It comes at the height of the holiday season in the province, where the 1967 Abortion Act does not apply. Mrs Betty Gibson, SPUC chairwoman in Northern Ireland, said: 'Publishing the draft guidance now means many people won't actually be aware of the document until they have returned to work in a couple of weeks. The Assembly is in recess and, even when politicians return to their constituencies, it may be September before they can discuss the proposals with their party colleagues - less than three weeks before the closing date for submissions. In the past, consultations on contentious issues have been launched during the holiday season in order to reduce the time available for objections. These draft guidelines contain some very serious flaws, not least the failure to acknowledge the suffering frequently experienced by women after abortion. We are determined that the final version of the guidelines should warn of the terrible psychological damage associated with abortion.' [Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, SPUC]