Abortion (Northern Ireland) (No. 2) Regulations 2020

Lord Alton of Liverpool Excerpts

Monday 15th June 2020 Lords Chamber

[Lord Alton of Liverpool (CB)]

My Lords, be clear: CEDAW makes no mention of abortion. Moreover, the committee report—which is binding only because we have made it so—expressly condemns disability-discriminatory and sex-selective abortions, which these regulations do not. Instead, they fly in the face of devolution, ignoring the overwhelming and united views of Northern Ireland’s majority, manifested in polls and a recent vote of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

These regulations also fail the good governance test. Our Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee said the time provided for consultation—which generated 21,000 responses, with 79% opposed—was

“too short for so sensitive a topic.”

It concluded that Parliament was denied

“an opportunity for scrutiny before the instrument came into effect.”

Ignoring our own scrutiny committee, the devolved Assembly and the considered views of disability groups, charities and the Attorney-General for Northern Ireland will simply bring Parliament into disrepute. That is why, whatever your views about abortion, we should vote “Content” to my noble friend’s amendment.