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human rights

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Cristian González Cabrera Senior Researcher, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights Program

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Human Rights Watch | Defending Human Rights Worldwide

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Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people in 100 countries worldwide, spotlighting abuses and bringing perpetrators to justice

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everyone has them no one can take them away

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Northern Ireland's abortion law violates human rights, Supreme Court rules – but challenge rejected on technical grounds

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Supreme Court judges have said Northern Ireland's abortion law violates human rights, but rejected a challenge brought by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIIHRC) on technical grounds.

Judges ruled that the country's ban on abortions in cases of sexual crime and fatal foetal abnormalities was incompatible with human rights legislation, but said the organisation did not have "standing" to win the case.

Human rights groups and politicians have warned that the UK government could not ignore the ruling and said it must bring forward legislation as a matter of urgency.

The ruling follows the Republic of Ireland's referendum on abortion, which saw 66 per cent of voters back lifting the ban in that country.

The NIHRC argued in their challenge that the current law subjects women to "inhuman and degrading" treatment, causing "physical and mental torture," in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

The Court ruled that the NIHRC did not have standing to bring these proceedings as it was not itself a victim, and therefore the Court was unable to make a declaration of incompatiblity - but the Justices warned that their findings should not be ignored by legislators.

Supreme Court Justice Mance held that the "present legislative position in Northern Ireland is untenable" and the current law "clearly needs radical reconsideration".

Lord Mance also stated that "those responsible for ensuring the compatibility of Northern Ireland law with the Convention rights" should consider amending the law as early as possible "in the light of the ongoing suffering being caused by it as well as the likelihood that a victim of the existing law would... obtain a declaration of incompatibility in relation to the 1861 Act."

The Court heard from a number of those who had been affected by the near-total abortion ban in Northern Ireland including Denise Phelan, who discovered early in her pregnancy that her baby would not survive but due to illness had to continue the pregnancy until she was induced, five days after her baby had died.

Judges also heard that a "frightened and distressed" girl under the age of 13 who was raped by a family member was forced to travel to England for an abortion.

In response to the ruling, NIHRC's chief commissioner Les Allamby said: "The Commission took this case to support and protect women and girls in Northern Ireland and we will continue to do this by whatever means we can. There is a much greater open public debate about the issue and the need for reform.

"The law now needs to change to stop women and girls from further anxiety and suffering. In the absence of the NI Executive and Assembly it falls to the UK government to make this change and it must act without delay.

"The Commission is disappointed that the Court did not support the arguments that we had sufficient powers to take the case in our own name. We acted in this way in order prevent any woman or girl from having to face the burden of doing so.

"One issue all the judges agreed on was that the current law in Northern Ireland is deeply unsatisfactory. As a result, it is clear we need to bring our own laws on termination into compliance with human rights standards."

Corey Stoughton, advocacy director for Liberty, echoed these sentiments, saying the ruling left the UK Government "out of excuses", adding: "While the case was dismissed, women's groups may have lost the battle but they are winning the war.

"The Supreme Court has unequivocally recognised that the criminalisation of abortion is an appalling human rights abuse. Westminster must act now to decriminalise abortion across the United Kingdom and grant basic bodily autonomy to the women of Northern Ireland."

Labour's shadow attorney general Shami Chakrabarti meanwhile said: "The Supreme Court's decision was made on a technicality, but the Court has made clear that abortion laws in Northern Ireland violate fundamental human rights and has called for a radical reconsideration of the law.

"The government cannot ignore this ruling and cannot continue to turn a blind eye to this injustice, which denies women in Northern Ireland their fundamental rights, upheld across the rest of the UK."

Nola Leach, chief executive of Christian public policy charity CARE, welcomed the decision, saying: "It should be for the people of Northern Ireland, through their elected representatives, to determine Northern Ireland's abortion law."

Earlier this week, MPs called for reform of abortion law during an impassioned debate in Westminster about the continuing ban. Labour backbencher Stella Creasy urged parliament to consider repealing the two sections of the Offences Against the Person Act of 1861 that criminalise "procuring the miscarriage of any women".

The Walthamstow MP asked for a bill to be brought to the house within 150 days as she told the Commons: "This is a statement of intent. We want deeds not just words. The women of Northern Ireland, indeed the women of England and Wales, deserve modern abortion law."

Penny Mordaunt, minister for women and equalities, said MPs had sent a message to Northern Ireland's politicians that if they do not act on the issue, "we will". Karen Bradley, the Northern Ireland secretary, said she personally backed abortion reform but argued that the Northern Ireland Assembly must be restored to consider the issue.

Northern Ireland has been without an executive since January 2017, when the governing parties - the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Féin - split in a bitter row over a flawed green energy scheme.

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Northern Ireland's abortion law violates human rights but challenge rejected on technical grounds, Supreme Court rules

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Supreme Court judges have said Northern Ireland's abortion law violates human rights, but rejected a challenge brought by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIIHRC) on technical grounds. Judges ruled that the country's ban on abortions in cases of sexual crime and fatal foetal abnormalities was incompatible with human rights legislation, but said the organisation did not have "standing" to win the case.

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Trump gives rambling and misleading speech in effort to spread hatred and fear of immigrants

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UN says Trump separation of migrant children with parents 'may amount to torture', in damning condemnation

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Trump policy of detaining children 'may amount to torture', UN says - as it happened

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Guardian correspondents follow all the developments on both sides of the border as president points finger at Democrats

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stop slavery

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Four men have been charged with modern slavery and forced labour offences after police carried out raids in Oxford.

The 59, 34, 33 and 26-year-olds, all from Oxford, were remanded in custody after appearing at Oxford Magistrates' Court.

They were detained during three raids that took place near Abingdon Road on Wednesday.

Suspected victims are being supported, Thames Valley Police said.

The arrests took place in a joint operation involving the force, the National Crime Agency, Southeast Regional Organised Crime Unit and Oxfordshire County Council.

Their trial is due to begin at Oxford Crown Court on 6 July.

The charges, in full, are:

Michael Joyce, 59: One count of requiring two people to perform compulsory labour, one count of arranging or facilitating travel of two people with a view to exploitation and one count of carrying on a regulated activity when not an authorised/exempt person.

John Joyce, 34: One count of requiring two people to perform forced or compulsory labour and one count of carrying on a regulated activity when not an authorised/exempt person.

Michael Joyce, 26: One count of requiring two people to perform forced or compulsory labour, one count of arranging or facilitating travel of two people with a view to exploitation and one count of carrying on a regulated activity when not an authorised/exempt person.

David Boiling, 33: One count of requiring two people to perform forced or compulsory labour, one count of arranging or facilitating travel of two people with a view to exploitation and one count of carrying on a regulated activity when not an authorised/exempt person.

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Four men have been charged with modern slavery and forced labour offences after police carried out raids in Oxford. The 59, 34, 33 and 26-year-olds, all from Oxford, were remanded in custody after appearing at Oxford Magistrates' Court. They were detained during three raids that took place near Abingdon Road on Wednesday.

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trump splits children from parents

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everyone have a right to do what they want with there life

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everyone have a right to do what they want with there life

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Terminally ill man loses latest round of legal battle against UK's ban on assisted dying

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Donald trump will not disscuss human rights to kim jong un at the summit  say reports

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Donald trump will not disscuss human rights to kim jong un at the summit  say reports

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china accusses theus of 'severe infringements' on human rights in report