New Legislation: Marriage Legalized for All and Abortions in Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, abortions and gay marriages are allowed in the future. A corresponding decision of the British House of Commons entered into force at midnight in the province. This will extend the rules on abortion and same-sex marriage already in force in England, Wales and Scotland to Northern Ireland.

The British House of Commons had decided this in July and gave the Northern Irish Parliament time until yesterday's Monday to make changes. The British province has no government of its own since January 2017 and is run by London as its executive director. The Northern Ireland Parliament in Belfast met briefly on Monday, but failed to agree on forming a government and making changes to the Westminster texts.

In the future, abortions in Northern Ireland will be punish-free and a regulated access to abortions will be made possible. The regulations should be completed by the end of March. Already in the middle of January, the regulations on gay marriage should stand. The first same-sex marriage is expected to be closed at the latest in the week of Valentine's Day in February.

The liberalization is controversial in Northern Ireland. The Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which plays an important role in the British parliament, vehemently opposed any change. DUP chief Arlene Foster spoke of a "very sad day" and an "affront to human dignity and life". So far in Northern Ireland was one of the harshest abortion laws in Europe. Northern Irish women had to expect prosecution if they started abortion.

The human rights organization Amnesty International, on the other hand, celebrated the "beginning of a new era for Northern Ireland". The end of the previous "oppressive laws" was a historic moment.