Northern Ireland: Contact your MLA to urge a vote for abortion law reform

A number of amendments have been proposed to the law in Northern Ireland which, if passed, may allow women to access abortions in circumstances of a fatal foetal abnormality, or where the pregnancy was as a result of rape or incest.

The amendments are due to be debated and voted on at the Northern Ireland Assembly on Wednesday 10 February as part of the legislative process for the Justice Bill.

In December, Belfast’s High Court ruled that Northern Ireland’s abortion law is in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights by not allowing for terminations in such circumstances. The Court passed responsibility to the Assembly to change the law.

We're calling for Northern Irish law to follow international human rights standards, including full decriminalisation of abortion, and access to safe and legal abortions - at a minimum - on grounds of severe or fatal foetal abnormality, or in circumstances where pregnancy is a result of sexual violence.

Read our briefing to MLAs

Most people in Northern Ireland want the law changed. If you are one of them, now is the time to encourage your MLAs to vote for change on both counts.

Please contact your MLAs before the vote on Wednesday – here's how:

1. Send an email to your individual MLAs at www.writetothem.com

Here's a sample message you could send (but please translate this into your own words - and, of course, always be polite in any exchange):

'I am a constituent of yours. On Wednesday, I want you to vote to change the law on abortion in Northern Ireland to bring it into line with international human standards. Please change the law to uphold the rights of women and girls whose pregnancy has a severe or fatal foetal diagnosis or is a result of rape or incest.' 

2. Phone your MLA using the following numbers, with the same message:

East Antrim

Mr Roy Beggs UUP (028) 9336 2995

Mr Stewart Dickson ALLIANCE (028) 9335 0286

Mr David Hilditch DUP (028) 9332 9980

Mr Oliver McMullan SINN FÉIN (028) 2888 5800

Mr Alastair Ross DUP (028) 9332 9980

Mr Gordon Lyons DUP (028) 2826 7722

East Belfast

Ms Judith Cochrane ALLIANCE PARTY (028) 9065 7785

Mr Andy Allen UUP (028) 9046 3900

Mr Sammy Douglas MBE DUP (028) 9046 7926

Mr Chris Lyttle ALLIANCE (028) 9065 7785

Mr Robin Newton DUP (028) 9046 7926

Mr Peter Robinson DUP (028) 9047 3111

East Londonderry

Mr Gregory Campbell DUP (028) 7032 7327

Mr John Dallat SDLP (028) 2954 1880

Ms Claire Sugden IND (028) 7032 7294

Mr Adrian McQuillan DUP (028) 2955 8045

Mr Cathal Ó Hoisín SINN FÉIN (028) 7774 2488

Mr George Robinson DUP (028) 7776 9191

Fermanagh and South Tyrone

Mr Neil Somerville UUP (028) 8772 3265

Mr Phil Flanagan SINN FÉIN (028) 6632 8214

Ms Arlene Foster DUP (028) 6632 0722

Mr Seán Lynch SINN FÉIN (028) 6772 1642

Ms Bronwyn McGahan SINN FÉIN (028) 8772 2776

Lord Morrow of Clogher Valley DUP (028) 8775 2799

Foyle

Mr Mark Durkan SDLP (028) 7136 5516

Mr Colum Eastwood SDLP (028) 7135 0045

Mr Gary Middleton DUP (028) 7134 6271

Mr Raymond McCartney SINN FÉIN (028) 7137 7551

Ms Maeve McLaughlin SINN FÉIN (028) 7137 7551

Mr Gerard Diver SDLP 07812 217 169

Lagan Valley

Mr Jonathan Craig DUP (028) 9266 8378

Mr Paul Givan DUP (028) 9266 1100

Ms Brenda Hale DUP (028) 9269 8866

Mr Trevor Lunn ALLIANCE (028) 9269 3594

Mr Basil McCrea NI21 (028) 9269 3594

Mr Edwin Poots DUP (028) 9260 3003

Mid Ulster

Mr Ian McCrea DUP (028) 8676 4952

Mr Patsy McGlone SDLP (028) 8675 8175

Mr Martin McGuinness SINN FÉIN (028) 8676 5850

Mr Ian Milne SINN FÉIN (028) 7964 4550

Ms Michelle O’Neill SINN FÉIN (028) 8774 8689

Ms Sandra Overend UUP (028) 8674 8090

Newry and Armagh

Mr Cathal Boylan SINN FÉIN (028) 3751 1797

Mr Dominic Bradley SDLP (028) 3026 7933

Mr Conor Murphy SINN FÉIN (028) 3086 1948

Ms Megan Fearon SINN FÉIN (028) 3086 1948

Mr William Irwin DUP (028) 3887 0500

Mr Danny Kennedy UUP (028) 3755 2831

North Antrim

Mr Jim Allister TUV (028) 2564 0250

Mr Paul Frew DUP (028) 2564 1421

Mr David McIlveen DUP (028) 2564 1421

Mr Daithí McKay SINN FÉIN (028) 2765 7198

Mr Mervyn Storey DUP (028) 2766 9753

Mr Robin Swann UUP (028) 2565 9595

North Belfast

Ms Paula Bradley DUP (028) 9083 0066

Mr William Humphrey DUP (028) 9074 4008

Mr Gerry Kelly SINN FÉIN (028) 9074 0817

Mr Alban Maginness SDLP (028) 9022 0520

Mr Nelson McCausland DUP (028) 9071 7072

Ms Carál Ní Chuilín SINN FÉIN (028) 9074 0414

North Down

Mr Steven Agnew GREEN PARTY (028) 9145 9110

Mr Leslie Cree MBE UUP (028) 9147 0300

Mr Gordon Dunne DUP (028) 9042 3322

Mr Alex Easton DUP (028) 9188 9620

Dr Stephen Farry ALLIANCE (028) 9185 9475

Mr Peter Weir DUP (028) 9145 4500

South Antrim

Ms Pam Cameron DUP (028) 9034 2234

Mr Trevor Clarke DUP (028) 9446 3273

Mr David Ford ALLIANCE (028) 9084 0930

Mr Paul Girvan DUP (028) 9334 2727

Mr Adrian Cochrane-Watson UUP (028) 9047 4630

Mr Mitchel McLaughlin SINN FÉIN (028) 9447 3972

South Belfast

Ms Anna Lo MBE ALLIANCE (028) 9033 0811

Mr Máirtín Ó Muilleoir SINN FÉIN (028) 9024 3194

Mr Fearghal McKinney SDLP (028) 9061 4193

Ms Claire Hanna SDLP (028) 9052 0369

Mr Michael McGimpsey UUP (028) 9024 5801

Ms Emma Pengelly DUP (028) 9045 5936

South Down

Mr Chris Hazzard SINN FÉIN (028) 4461 4405

Mr John McCallister IND (028) 4372 7085

Ms Karen McKevitt SDLP (028) 4177 4386

Mr Seán Rogers SDLP (028) 4372 2443

Ms Caitríona Ruane SINN FÉIN (028) 4175 4448

Mr Jim Wells DUP (028) 4176 9900

Strangford

Mr Jonathan Bell DUP (028) 9182 7701

Mr Simon Hamilton DUP (028) 9187 0900

Mr Kieran McCarthy ALLIANCE (028) 9182 2004

Miss Michelle McIlveen DUP (028) 9187 1441

Mr David McNarry UKIP (028) 9751 0705

Mr Mike Nesbitt UUP (028) 9182 1587

Upper Bann

Mr Sydney Anderson DUP (028) 3833 2234

Mrs Jo-Anne Dobson UUP (028) 4066 9004

Mr Samuel Gardiner UUP (028) 3831 0011

Mrs Dolores Kelly SDLP (028) 3832 2140

Mr Stephen Moutray DUP (028) 3831 0088

Mr John O’Dowd SINN FÉIN (028) 3834 9675

West Belfast

Mr Alex Attwood SDLP Belfast: (028) 9080 7808

Mr Fra McCann SINN FÉIN (028) 9050 8989

Ms Jennifer McCann SINN FÉIN (028) 9061 1176

Ms Rosaleen McCorley SINN FÉIN (028) 9080 8404

Mr Alex Maskey SINN FÉIN (028) 9024 3194

Mr Pat Sheehan SINN FÉIN (028) 9061 3894

West Tyrone

Ms Michaela Boyle SINN FÉIN (028) 7188 6464

Mr Thomas Buchanan DUP (028) 8224 7702

Mr Joe Byrne SDLP (028) 8225 0060

Mr Ross Hussey UUP (028) 8224 5568

Mr Declan McAleer SINN FÉIN (028) 7188 6464

Mr Barry McElduff SINN FÉIN (028) 8225 3040