The Northern Ireland Parliament was suspended in 1972 and direct rule from Westminster continued until the devolution of a range of powers, including health, to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 1999. Criminal law, including abortion, continued to be reserved to Westminster until the devolution of policing and justice powers in 2010. Between 1993 and 1999, a series of court cases interpreted the law as also allowing for abortion in cases where, for the pregnant woman, "there is a risk of real and serious adverse effect on her physical or mental health, which is either long term or permanent".