Proposal to change Northern Ireland's cruel abortion law to save disabled babies
A new law has been proposed to prevent abortions being carried out in Northern Ireland in cases of non-fatal disabilities.
NI's abortion laws changed significantly last year following legislation passed at Westminster.
Despite the citizens of Northern Ireland being given no say in the matter, the province now boasts the most extreme and cruel abortion law in the whole of Europe.
The barbaric legislation provides no time limit for abortions when there is a "substantial risk" a fetus would suffer a severe mental or physical impairment.
However, according to the legislation imposed upon the province by Westminster, this would cover disabilities such as Down's syndrome or a cleft palate.
A private member's bill brought by Paul Givan, a Democratic Unionist Party MLA, is seeking to overturn this.
Mr Givan's bill represents the first legislative attempt since devolution was restored in Northern Ireland to amend the abortion laws introduced unilaterally by the UK government.
He said the legislation would not seek to amend the law for abortions in cases of fatal fetal abnormalities.
The DUP's Paul Givan said it was about removing discrimination against people with disabilities.
"This is an opportunity for people to come together and fight a prejudicial, discriminatory piece of legislation," he told the Good Morning Ulster programme.
"We have introduced laws called the Disability Act of 1995 and we have built upon that to place duties on public authorities and support people with disabilities.
"I believe that those rights - and these are human rights - ought to be conferred upon people before they are born and that is what this campaign is going to be about.
"I believe there is a majority of assembly members that agree with this, as does the majority of the public."
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