Stephen has written to Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis, seeking clarification on the constitutional impact of the new abortion regulations.
The regulations create new powers to directly fund abortion provision in Northern Ireland. There are concerns, however, that these will go even further than the previous rules and may give the Northern Ireland Secretary powers to bypass the country’s Executive branch altogether.
In his letter, Stephen asked the Secretary of State whether the new regulations will be compatible with the Belfast Agreement and the devolved government in Northern Ireland.
Having sent the letter, Stephen said, “I am troubled to learn that the new powers from the Abortion Regulations could affect the Belfast Agreement as well as the decades of checks and balances that have been built into Northern Ireland’s political system.”