Today is a landmark moment for reproductive rights and marriage equality.
At midnight tonight, Sections 58 and 59 of the Offences Against the Persons Act 1861 will be repealed. Abortion will be decriminalised, and we will be one step closer to free, safe, legal and local abortion in Northern Ireland.
This means that abortion will no longer be a matter for criminal law, instead, abortion will be regulated by medical guidelines like any other healthcare procedure.
“Today is a huge victory for women’s rights as Northern Ireland’s cruel abortion ban has been lifted. Abortion will be decriminalised, and women and girls will no longer fear going to prison for accessing basic healthcare." - Cara Sanquest and Katherine Nesbitt, London-Irish Abortion Rights Campaign
