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Abortion Laws:
Why we Need a Change

The Present Laws

 The grounds for abortions are in the Crimes Act 1961 and amendments:

Serious danger to the life or to the physical or mental health of the mother.
Risk that the child would be severely handicapped, physically or mentally.
Pregnancy as a result of incest or unlawful sex with a guardian.
Severe mental subnormality of the mother.
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The procedures

The procedures are in the Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion Act (CS&A Act) 1977 and amendments and they are administered by the Ministry of Justice, not Health. The Abortion Supervisory Committee (ASC) oversees this Act and reports directly to Parliament.
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ALRANZ believes that abortion services need to be complemented by a comprehensive programme of education plus freely available contraceptive services.

Since no method of contraception is 100% reliable, abortion will always be necessary as a backup.

That unsafe, self-induced and backstreet abortions must never be allowed to return. Restrictive laws mean poor women suffer and rich women go elsewhere.

Anti-abortionists should not be allowed to impose their views on the rest of society.

High ethical and medical standards must be maintained when abortions are carried out.


Women should not be made to feel guilty.
Abortion is not a crime.


The above information is also contained in an article written by Dr Margaret Sparrow.


Did you know that..?

Fetal abnormality is not a ground for a late abortion, despite a strong recommendation from the ASC that it should be.

Socio-economic circumstances cannot be taken into account although inability to provide adequate care is a common reason for deciding not to continue a pregnancy.

Contraceptive failure is not a ground for abortion, even for the woman who has taken all precautions to prevent an unplanned pregnancy.

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What is wrong with these laws?

1/ They are expensive.
 In 2009 the fees to certifying consultants alone amounted to around $5 million. This money could be better spent on preventing unplanned pregnancies.

2/ They are unrealistic.
 They ignore the importance of socio-economic factors in making a decision. It is hypocritical that almost 99% are carried out on the grounds of mental health.

3/ They are punitive, punishing women for contraceptive “mistakes”.
 To err is human. Enforced pregnancy is not in the long term interests of society. Women want to give their children the best start in life.

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Legislation

The grounds for abortion is in the Crimes Act
Crimes Act 1961, Part 8, Crimes Against the Person
s.182 Killing unborn child
s.182A Miscarriage defined
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