Legal challenge over Northern Ireland's abortion laws successful

A landmark legal challenge to relax Northern Ireland's strict abortion laws has been successful.

The challenge was brought by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC), which wants access to legal terminations in cases of rape, incest or fatal foetal abnormality.

Judge Mr Justice Mark Horner told Belfast High Court: "In the circumstances, given this issue is unlikely to be grasped by the legislature in the foreseeable future, and the entitlement of citizens of Northern Ireland to have their Convention rights protected by the courts, I conclude that the Article Eight rights of women in Northern Ireland who are pregnant with fatal foetal abnormalities or who are pregnant as a result of sexual crime are breached by the impugned provisions."