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Calls for justice minister to state position on fatal foetal abnormality report

Justice Minister Claire Sugden. Picture by Michael Cooper 
Justice Minister Claire Sugden. Picture by Michael Cooper  Justice Minister Claire Sugden. Picture by Michael Cooper 

THERE are calls for the justice minister to take a position on whether a much anticipated report examining Northern Ireland's ban on abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormality (FFA) should be made public.

Ulster Unionist Doug Beattie called on Claire Sugden to show she is "independent" and state clearly whether or not she believes the report should be released to the wider public.

A private member’s bill on abortion reform, brought forward by former Alliance leader David Ford, will be officially moved in the Assembly on Tuesday.

The proposed legislation seeks to reform the law around termination of pregnancy in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities.

If passed, it would enable women carrying a foetus with a fatal abnormality to access a termination legally in Northern Ireland.

It follows a previous attempt by Mr Ford to change the law while justice minister.

In recent days, Ms Sugden, an independent MLA, appeared to cast doubt over the move to publish the report when she told MLAs the decision would require full Executive approval.

She said: "The report was never intended to be for publication to the general public. It was to inform both myself and the health minister and then we would have discussions with the wider Executive. That's not to say we won't publish the report".

There were calls for the justice minister to to take a position on whether she believes a key report on abortion should be published or not
There were calls for the justice minister to to take a position on whether she believes a key report on abortion should be published or not There were calls for the justice minister to to take a position on whether she believes a key report on abortion should be published or not

But Mr Beattie cccused Ms Sugden of trying to "dodge the issue of whether or not she supported publication by stating the report was commissioned to inform the Executive".

"The bottom line is that she is the justice minister and must surely have an opinion of her own as to whether or not this report should be published," he said on Monday.

"The minister is either an independent voice, or she is merely there to do the bidding of the two parties who make up the Executive."