LONDON — After a week of mounting legal pressure, Northern Ireland’s Department of Health authorized abortion services in the region late on Thursday, putting into force legislation that overturns one of the world’s most restrictive abortion laws.

Last month, abortion rights were extended to Northern Ireland for pregnancies up to 12 weeks, but the introduction of services was delayed by the health minister, Robin Swann, who has been accused of using the coronavirus outbreak to stall the process because of his ideological objections.

Abortion is one of the most contentious issues in Northern Irish politics. The legislation legalizing abortion was passed by the British Parliament after the collapse of the region’s power-sharing government. The regional government was restored in January, and has been torn by the abortion issue ever since.

Before the laws went into effect on Thursday, women seeking free abortions in Northern Ireland had to travel to England. (Abortion services are available in the Republic of Ireland, but the cost of $500 is prohibitive for many women.)