From the article:

Northern Ireland’s health department published instructions to doctors Friday that for the first time explain the rare circumstances under which they can perform a legal abortion.

. . .

Friday’s government document said an abortion is permitted in Northern Ireland under two circumstances — to “preserve the life of the woman,” or if a doctor determines the continuing pregnancy would impose “a risk of real and serious adverse effect on her physical or mental health which is either long-term or permanent.”

This means a suicide threat, if deemed credible by one or more doctors, would be grounds for granting an abortion.

Northern Ireland’s main anti-abortion group, Precious Life, astutely recognized the de facto loophole in the guidelines:

“These guidelines grossly exaggerate this exception of `saving the mother’s life’ — for example, implying abortion is legal on the grounds of mental health,” said the Precious Life group, which regularly pickets the Family Planning Association office in Belfast.

Here is a PDF copy of the guidelines.  Precious Life points out another squishy aspect of the guidelines here.

I admire the work of Precious Life, especially their street outreach program.  We need a lot more of that in the U.S.

I also admire the neighboring Republic of Ireland, “where abortion is outlawed in a constitutional amendment”:

A 1992 Irish Supreme Court ruling found that abortions should be granted in cases where pregnant women were threatening to kill themselves if denied one. But Ireland’s lawmakers have refused to pass a law along those lines.

Courageous lawmakers standing firm against the courts for the sake of their principles?  Where do we find them on this side of the pond?