Ensuring a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland remains on the Political Agenda
Dr Anne Smith and Prof Monica McWilliams (Ulster) This presentation focuses on the findings of a research report ‘Political Capacity Building: Advancing a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland’, September 2014. The report seeks to contribute to discussions regarding a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland and sets out a series of recommendations. Drawing upon the report’s evidence-based data from a series of interviews with representatives from the Irish and British governments and the local political parties, the presentation aims to help identify and raise issues that may help progress the Bill of Rights. The presentation is timely given a
Abortion Policy – Challenges and Opportunities
Dr Fiona Bloomer (Ulster) and Dr Lesley Hoggart (OU) This presentation considers the development and implementation of abortion policy in Northern Ireland, setting it within all-Ireland, United Kingdom (UK) and international context. It explores policy development in this area since the commencement of the Northern Ireland Assembly and analyses the extent to which this has been informed by evidence. The presentation identifies evidence related to the demand for abortion services including an analysis of 10 year trends in the profile of those who travel to England and Wales for abortion services. It is noted that from this analysis there is