1.05: (Gráinne Teggart) - Achieving decriminalisation and law reform

03/14/23 • 67 min

This episode contains an in-depth interview with Gráinne Teggart. Gráinne joined Amnesty International in 2009 and is the Deputy Director of the human rights organisation in Northern Ireland. She has lead Amnesty’s campaigning and strategic litigation on abortion law reform and worked on a multitude of issues including human trafficking and legacy issues relating to the conflict in Northern Ireland. Gráinne is a Trustee of the Integrated Education Fund as well as Informing Choices NI.

Gráinne reflects on the Good Friday Agreement 25 years on; her time at school and views on integrated education; the positive and negative impact of social media; working alongside women who had been directly affected by Northern Ireland’s near total abortion ban; campaigning for abortion reform when she was pregnant; Repeal of the 8th amendment; the decriminalisation of abortion in Northern Ireland; and her aspirations for sexual and reproductive health going forward.
If you would like support around a sexual health issue you can call the Sexual Health Helpline on 028 9031 6100.
Useful links
https://informingchoicesni.org/pregnancy-choices-counselling
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/abortion-services
Resources
UK Supreme Court judgment in the matter of an application by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
High Court judgment in the matter of an application by Sarah Jane EwartNews articles
A Belfast Telegraph article regarding a visit to Northern Ireland from a Labour Party delegation hosted by Amnesty International UK and FPA NI
An Irish News article regarding a visit to Northern Ireland from a Conservative Party delegation hosted by Amnesty International UK and FPA NI
A Guardian article regarding the passage of a Motion by Belfast City Council in support of the decriminalisation of abortion
A BBC News article regarding the decriminalisation of abortion featuring Denise Phelan
A BBC News article regarding the outcome of a judicial review taken by Sarah Ewart
Video
A video produced by Amnesty International UK regarding the decriminalisation of abortion in Northern Ireland

Previous Episode

1.04: (Clare Bailey) - Running the gauntlet

This episode contains an in-depth interview with Clare Bailey. Clare is a former leader of the Green Party in Northern Ireland and represented the South Belfast constituency from 2016 to 2022. During her time in the Northern Ireland Assembly, she spearheaded legislation to introduce safe access zones outside abortion clinics, the first law of its kind in the UK and Ireland. Clare was a founding pupil at Lagan College, and is a Trustee of Informing Choices NI.

Clare talks about her memories of attending Lagan College; her contrasting experiences of growing up in Belfast and the Netherlands; studying politics at Queen’s University and her decision to join the Green Party; volunteering as a clinic escort at the Marie Stopes clinic in Belfast; being elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2016; working alongside politicians with opposing views; passing legislation to introduce safe access zones outside abortion clinics; and her aspirations for sexual and reproductive health going forward.
If you would like support around a sexual health issue you can call the Sexual Health Helpline on 028 9031 6100.
Useful links
https://informingchoicesni.org/pregnancy-choices-counselling
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/abortion-services
Resources
Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act (Northern Ireland) 2023
Supreme Court Judgment - Reference by the Attorney General for Northern Ireland - Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Northern Ireland) Bill

News articles
A BBC article following the Supreme Court decision to uphold Clare Bailey's safe access zones legislation as being lawful A feature article from the Belfast Telegraph focusing on Clare Bailey
A video of political commentator Alex Kane singing on the steps of Parliament Buildings after Clare Bailey was elected to the NI Assembly in 2016

Next Episode

1.06: (Dr Laura McLaughlin) - Providing safe and compassionate abortion care

The final episode of the first series contains an in-depth interview with Dr Laura McLaughlin. Dr McLaughlin is co-chair of Doctors for Choice NI, and a member of the Northern Ireland Abortion and Contraception Taskgroup. Following the decriminalisation of abortion Dr McLaughlin worked alongside healthcare professionals and Informing Choices to establish local early medical abortion services, and currently provides abortion care in Northern Ireland.

Dr McLaughlin reflects on her experiences of working in the health service in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Canada; how the previous abortion law in Northern Ireland impacted upon medical professionals and the care provided to women; the formation of Doctors for Choice NI; the impact of Covid-19 and the establishment of early medical abortion services in Northern Ireland; conversations with medical colleagues around the provision of abortion; how abortion is viewed by women and society in Northern Ireland; and her aspirations for sexual and reproductive health going forward.
If you would like support around a sexual health issue you can call the Sexual Health Helpline on 028 9031 6100.
Useful links
https://informingchoicesni.org/pregnancy-choices-counselling
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/abortion-services
Resources
Report from the Northern Ireland Abortion and Contraception Taskgroup published in March 2021 on Sexual and Reproductive Health in Northern Ireland
Report published by Informing Choices NI in June 2021 entitled Beyond Decriminalisation: pregnancy choices and abortion care in Northern Ireland
News articles
An Irish News article from April 2020 on the launch of the central access point into early medical abortion care
An article from June 2020 on abortion provision in Northern Ireland written by Dr Laura McLaughlin
An Irish Times article from October 2022 on the uncertainty of abortion provision in Northern Ireland featuring Dr Laura McLaughlin
A Belfast Telegraph article from December 2022 on the commissioning of abortion services in Northern Ireland featuring Dr Laura McLaughlinVideo
A video created by Doctors for Choice UK called 'Kind to women: how the 1967 Abortion Act changed our lives'