University Of Queensland Law Academic Calls For Abortion Law Reform, Australia

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 23 Aug 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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Abortion laws in Queensland are out of date and in urgent need of reform, according to a University of Queensland law academic.

UQ's TC Beirne School of Law Associate Professor Heather Douglas said the state's abortion laws, largely drafted in 1899, were a mess and the oldest in the country.

"The current position leaves Queensland Police in charge of abortion. Abortion must be removed from the criminal code to the health legislation - like it is in most other Australian jurisdictions."

Dr Douglas said that while there had been great advances in the medical technology available to terminate a pregnancy, the laws had not kept up with these advances or community views.

"Studies suggest that around 80 percent of survey respondents agree that a woman should have the right to choose whether she has an abortion. For many women - and for the health budget- abortion using drugs is a safer and cheaper option," she said.

"As a result of the current legal position, there is virtually no access to abortion through the public hospital system in Queensland. This means that abortion in Queensland is also a class issue. Women with greater access to funds are more able to travel to obtain an abortion and to pay the private medical fees associated with abortion."

Source
University of Queensland

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