Abortion and same-sex marriage: how are non-sectarian controversial issues discussed in Northern Irish politics?

ABSTRACT

Westminster's legislation regarding marriage rights for same sex couples has not been extended to Northern Ireland. Similarly, Northern Ireland has never been under the jurisdiction of the 1967 Abortion Act, making abortion effectively illegal in the province unless it is necessary to preserve the long-term life or health of the woman. This article considers contemporary political debate around abortion and same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland to ask; how are controversial (but non-sectarian) issues such as abortion and same sex marriage dealt with in a divided society? Using data from the Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey and selected debates from the Northern Irish Assembly, it considers how political parties and post-conflict governance have shaped debate on these issues.

KEYWORDS:

• Northern Ireland
• gender
• abortion
• same-sex marriage
• cultural politics

Notes

1. Green and Orange are used to refer to Irish (republican) and British (unionist) nationalisms respectively in Northern Ireland.

2. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-24458241 (accessed 27 February 2015).

3. Available at: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/dups-jim-wells-abortion-should-be-ruled-out-for-rape-victims-28785234.html (accessed 20 March 2015).

4. Available at: http://web.archive.org/web/20071025033401/http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/21360 (accessed 17 February 2015).

5. All MLAs must designate as either Nationalist, Unionist or Other. No Member may change their self-designated category more than once in an Assembly session.

6. With a slightly different legal precedent in Scotland.

7. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2008/oct/21/health-health1?guni=Article:in%20body%20link (accessed 11 May 2015).

8. Answers have varied only within five percentage points, and abortion for social as opposed to medical reasons has always been given a lower rate of approval.

9. The opinions of several politicians interviewed as part of a larger project on the part of the author, are similar.

10. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-21755507 (accessed 11 May 15).

11. Official Report, Hansard, Stormont, Tuesday 12th March, 2013, Volume 83, No. 2. Available at: http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/Assembly-Business/Official-Report/Reports-12-13/12-March-2013/ (accessed 11 May 2015). All further references to this debate are from this source.

12. Official Report, Hansard, Stormont, Monday 1st October 2012, Volume 77, No. 7. Available at: http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/Documents/Official-Reports/Plenary/2012-13/Plenary-01-10-12.pdf (accessed 11 May 2015). All further references to this debate are from this source.

13. Official Report, Hansard, Stormont, Monday 29th April 2013, Volume 84, No. 5. Available at: http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/Assembly-Business/Official-Report/Reports-12-13/29-April-2013/ (accessed 11 May 2015). All further references to this debate are from this source.

14.

The Convention on the Constitution is a forum of 100 people, representative of Irish society and parliamentarians from the island of Ireland, with an independent Chairman. The Convention was established by Resolution of both Houses of the Oireachtas to consider and make recommendations on certain topics as possible future amendments to the Constitution. Available at: https://www.constitution.ie/Convention.aspx. (accessed 11 May15).

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council [ES/J500124/1].