High Court in London says NI women not entitled to free NHS abortions in England

The High Court in London has ruled women from Northern Ireland are not legally entitled to free abortions on the NHS in England.

The case was brought by two claimants who launched a legal challenge against the current position.

Unlike the rest of the UK abortion is only allowed in very restricted circumstances in Northern Ireland.

More than 1,000 women each year travel from NI to have an abortion in other parts of the UK.

Those who do travel must pay for their transport, accommodation and the cost of the procedure.

The laws covering abortion in Northern Ireland are the 1861 Offences against the Person Act, and the Criminal Justice act from 1945. It is a criminal offence, which carries a life sentence.

The only exceptions are to save a woman's life, or if there is a risk of permanent and serious damage to her mental or physical health.

Figures released by the Northern Ireland Department of Health revealed that 51 terminations were performed in local hospitals in 2013.

According to the figures, that was an increase of 16 over the previous year.

In England, Wales and Scotland access to abortion is covered by the 1967 Abortion Act.

That permits terminations up to 24 weeks of pregnancy on grounds that include risk to the physical or mental health of the woman or existing children in the family, and abnormalities that could lead to a child being "seriously handicapped".

It is also allowed over 24 weeks if a woman's life or health is at serious risk, and for serious disabilities.

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