Sinn Fein members have voted in favour of liberalising abortion law in a change to the party's policy.

Delegates at an annual party conference in Belfast said the procedure should be provided through a GP-led service for a "limited gestational period".

They also decided abortion should be available where a woman's life, health or mental health is at risk and in cases of fatal foetal abnormality, where an infant cannot survive.

It comes after the Republic of Ireland's historic referendum decision to overturn a constitutional provision which outlawed terminations in most cases.

Sinn Fein's vice president Michelle O'Neill said the party "refuses to hide" on the issue of abortion.


"(Sinn Fein) will address this issue with compassion and will show the leadership that is required," she added.

Image: Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill

New legislation making abortion available for women up to 12 weeks pregnant in Ireland will be introduced in the new year, the country's prime minister has said.

Northern Ireland, however, remains the only region of the UK or Ireland where abortion is illegal unless there is a serious risk to a woman's life or health.

The UK's Supreme Court ruled last week that abortion restrictions in Northern Ireland have caused "ongoing suffering" and are "incompatible" with human rights laws.

The debate has intensified since the outcome of the Irish referendum, with the British Government resisting renewed calls to step in and legislate in the continuing absence of a power-sharing government in Belfast.

Yes campaigners from the Republic have turned their focus north of the border in the wake of last month's referendum result.

Sinn Fein MEP Martina Anderson said: "The North is next."

Sinn Fein is a major force in opposition in the Republic and the majority voice of nationalism in Northern Ireland.