Abortion Debate in New Zeland Posted: 06-07-05 13:39pm
Anti-abortion group takes case to court
06 june 2005
an anti-abortion group has filed legal
action in the high court at wellington
against the abortion supervisory
committee, saying it has misinterpreted
the law and allowed too many abortions.
Right to life new zealand said the
contraception, sterilisation and abortion
act 1977 was passed "with the objectives
of stopping abortion on demand and to
provide effective legal protection for
unborn children".
However, it argued that successive
governments since 1978 had failed to
correctly apply the act. The
interpretations by the government and the
committee had in fact produced abortion on
demand, right to life said.
The attorney general will be the second
defendant in the case.
Right to life said in a statement that 98
per cent of abortions had been authorised
on mental health grounds.
"it is our belief that these abortions are
for socio-economic reasons masquerading as
psychiatric," the statement said.
"evidence will be given by right to life
that the committee has failed to hold
certifying consultants accountable for the
lawfulness of their authorisations for
abortion."
the supervisory committee reported to
parliament in october last year that
18,511 abortions were performed in 2003
