Belfast, Northern Ireland, Sep 21, 2018 / 12:01 pm
A legal challenge to the prosecution of a Northern Irish woman who allegedly procured abortifacient medication for her underage daughter which was to have begun Thursday has been adjourned.
Declan Morgan, Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, said Sept. 20 that "dealing with the case in the absence of understanding the Public Prosecution Service response to the Supreme Court would be entirely inappropriate."
Abortion is legally permitted in Northern Ireland only if the mother's life is at risk or if there is risk of permanent, serious damage to her mental or physical health. Abortion pills are illegal in Northern Ireland.
In June, the UK Supreme Court threw out a case challenging Northern Ireland's abortion law, saying the commission which brought the case does not have standing to do so. However, the judges also said the current law violates the European Convention on Human Rights by banning abortion in cases of fatal fetal abnormality, rape, and incest.