Europe’s top human rights court rejected an appeal today to grant full human rights to a foetus, saying it was up to national governments to decide on the issue.

A FRENCH woman forced to have an abortion after a doctor’s mistake asked Europe’s top human rights court yesterday to consider granting rights to a foetus, in a case that could have implications across the continent.

Anti-abortion groups today accused the government of ‘‘cost-cutting’’ and being ‘‘obsessed’’ with abortion after it emerged that women are to be offered faster, easier terminations.

The Family Planning Association is mounting a legal fight to try to win Northern Ireland women the same right to an abortion as women in the rest of the UK, it announced today.