The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children is extending its pro-life billboard campaign in Northern Ireland after advertising watchdogs rejected complaints. 

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) launched an investigation into the billboards after receiving calls for them to be banned. 

The billboards carried the message, "Abortion Kills Babies: Repeal Section 9".  They were launched after Section 9 of the Northern Ireland Executive Formation Act came into effect on March 31. 

The new legal framework removes many of the protections for the unborn that were in place in Northern Ireland by allowing abortion on demand up to 12 weeks, and up to 24 weeks if continuing the pregnancy "would involve risk of injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman or girl". 

However, there is no time limit on abortions for severe fetal impairment and fatal fetal abnormalities; where there is a risk to the life of the woman or girl; or where a termination has been deemed "necessary to prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman or girl". 

One of the complaints to the ASA claimed that SPUC's use of the word "baby" in the posters was misleading "as they understood that this was not a medically recognised term in this context".

Other complaints suggested that the billboards would be distressing to those who have undergone an abortion. 

The ASA disagreed and decided against taking any action on the grounds that the adverts comply with the Human Rights Act 1998 regulations defending freedom of expression.

The ASA's Complaints Executive Tom Merryweather said that viewers of the adverts "were likely to understand the claims in the ad to be reflective of the subjective opinions of a campaigning group concerning abortion".

"For this reason, the Council considered that readers were likely to interpret the term 'baby' as representative of the advertiser's own view. They therefore concluded that the ad was unlikely to mislead," he said.

Welcoming the decision, SPUC's Northern Ireland political officer Liam Gibson said: "The design of the posters was very simple and in no way sensational. Abortion is a black and white issue and the ads reflect that by stating 'Abortion kills babies' in white letters on a black background.

"Of course, people who want to sanitise abortion pretend that a foetus isn't a baby but it is an inescapable fact that every abortion kills a baby. The ASA could not contradict that or say the adverts were misleading.

"Naturally, SPUC is pleased that the ASA has decided to reject the complaints made against us."

He said it was "very important" that people be made aware that Westminster has imposed the most extreme abortion laws in all of Europe on Northern Ireland. 

In light of the ruling, SPUC now plans to extend its advertising campaign further. 

Mr Gibson said: "We intend to extend the initiative and continue to build support for the restoration of the right to life of all unborn children. Abortion is an act of lethal violence and there is no acceptable level of violence against children."