Women with case against UK govt over disability abortion law will go to Court of Appeal

The women behind a case against the UK government over current abortion laws that allow abortion up to birth for Down’s syndrome will seek permission for the case to be taken onto the Court of Appeal, after the High Court announced they have rejected the legal challenge.

Heidi Crowter, a 26-year-old woman from Coventry who has Down’s syndrome, together with Máire Lea-Wilson from Brentford, West London, whose two-year-old son Aidan has Down’s syndrome, are challenging the UK Government over a disability clause in the current law.

Currently in England, Wales and Scotland, there is a general 24-week time limit for abortion, but if the baby has a disability, including Down’s syndrome, cleft lip and club foot, abortion is legal right up to birth.

Polling has shown that the majority of people in England, Wales and Scotland feel that disability should not be a grounds for abortion at all, with only one in three people thinking it is acceptable to ban abortion for gender or race but allow it for disability.

Paul Conrathe, solicitor at Sinclairslaw said: “This is a disappointing judgement that is out of step with modern attitudes to disability. As long ago as 2001, the Disability Rights Commission stated that the abortion legislation “is offensive to many people; it reinforces negative stereotypes of disability”.