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BBC News
By Jayne McCormack
Published
image copyrightReuters
image captionCampaigners on both sides of the issue took the streets of Belfast in September 2019, a month before NI s abortion laws changed significantly
The sensitive issue of abortion has long divided opinion in Northern Ireland.
In recent years, the laws have changed and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is now attempting to amend them again.
The laws covering abortion in Northern Ireland were initially the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, and later the Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Act and Infant Life (Preservation) Act in 1945.
In the vast majority of circumstances, it was a criminal offence in Northern Ireland to have or perform an abortion.
A legislative attempt to repeal an aspect of Northern Ireland’s recently liberalised abortion laws has been formally tabled at Stormont.
The Private Member’s Bill in the name of DUP MLA Paul Givan targets a specific provision within the region’s abortion regulations that allows terminations up to birth in cases of serious non-fatal disabilities.
The initial stage of a Bill’s journey through the Assembly is a short procedure involving the formal introduction of it to the House.
The first stage of Mr Givan’s Bill only lasted a number of minutes on Tuesday morning.
DUP MLA Paul Givan (Niall Carson/PA)
According to the Department of Health, 1,091 notifications have been received since March 31 last year.
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Prior to this, abortion was illegal in Northern Ireland except in very limited circumstances, such as where the life or mental health of the mother is in danger.
Seven abortions were carried out in local hospitals between January 1 and March 30, 2020, the department also confirmed.
South Belfast MLA Christopher Stalford, who obtained the details in an Assembly question, described the figure as very sad . We warned of the potential scale of abortion in Northern Ireland prior to this legislation being introduced, he said.