article: The man, who is 22 years old, is charged with procuring the drugs for his co-defendant, a 21-year-old woman. The woman is charged with taking two drugs which are commonly used to bring about a miscarriage or abortion. At Belfast magistrates court on Monday, there was an application to adjourn the case. The man's solicitor said there had had been a lot of unacceptable delay in the case and that it was quite stressful for his client. The case was adjourned until 23 January. In Northern Ireland, unlike the rest of the UK, abortion is only allowed if a woman's life is at risk or if there is a permanent or serious risk to her physical or mental health.
summary: A solicitor for a man accused of procuring drugs intended to cause an abortion has protested about delays in dealing with the case.