anti-abortion

Reproductive rights round-up: NSW, Vic, SA, Tas

Fetal personhood legislation progressing through parliament in NSW while failing in South Australia. Tasmania adopts Victoria-like access to legal abortion, but the campaign to repeal part of Victoria’s abortion access heats up. And the USA demonstrates the uses to which fetal personhood can be put.

Fetal personhood (“Zoe’s Law”) before NSW Parliament

The stated intent of Zoe’s Law is to allow separate prosecution of injury to a fetus, following the death of Zoe Donegan (stillborn at 32 weeks gestation) in 2009 after Zoe’s mother Brodie was hit by a van. However, the bill has been introduced by an anti-abortion politician, and there are grave concerns about its potential interpretation, particularly “an unborn child is taken to be a living person”. Coalition and ALP members have been granted a conscience vote on Zoe’s law.