A mother and daughter from Northern Ireland who were forced to travel to England for an abortion are to be compensated by the government over their costs. The European court of human rights has instructed the government to reimburse the women for the cost of travel and the termination at a private English clinic seven years ago. Known only as A and B, the pair began legal proceedings after they were forced to raise £900 to make the trip for A to have the termination.
Northern Ireland was up until recently the only part of the UK where abortion was illegal except in extreme circumstances, such as a direct threat to a mother’s life. In July the Labour MP Stella Creasy introduced legislation through the House of Commons that will ensure regulations for free, legal and local abortion services in Northern Ireland by 31 March 2020. In their battle for compensation A and B pursued an application to the European court of human rights, claiming that forcing them to pay for a termination in England breached their rights to a private life under article 8 of the Human Rights Act and article 14 in terms of discrimination. As a result of a written decision by the ECHR published on Thursday 19th December 2019, the pair will not only receive the full costs of the treatment and travel but also their legal costs in the case.
Read more: Henry McDonald, Guardian, https://is.gd/IQ4XmC
