*MEDIA RELEASE* * * 4 October 2010

Abortion Law Reform Association of NZ

Anti-Abortion Case Reflects Political Apathy Over Women’s Rights

The long-running anti-abortion case that returns to the Court of Appeal in Wellington on Tuesday is a sad indictment of a Parliament unwilling to protect New Zealand women’s reproductive rights, the president of the Abortion Law Reform Association, Dame Margaret Sparrow, said today.

The Right to Life v. Abortion Supervisory Committee case, which began more than five years ago, is aimed at restricting women’s access to abortion services, Dame Margaret said, and has only remained alive in the courts so long because of our unworkable abortion laws.

“Both sides in the abortion debate actually agree that the current law is being interpreted liberally,” Dame Margaret said. “But we strongly disagree on what the response to this should be.”

“Pro-choice supporters want to see abortion decriminalised, while Right to Life is asking the courts to impose a crackdown.”

Dame Margaret said the lack of political action on abortion was one reason ALRANZ was collaborating with other pro-choice groups, including the students’ group Action for Abortion Rights, in organizing a protest outside the court on Tuesday.

Of equal concern is that just as this case is headed back to court, the same anti-abortion group is threatening fresh legal action against the ASC, this time over Family Planning’s proposal to provide early medical abortions using the so-called abortion pill.

“Right to Life has threatened to go to the High Court in an effort to stop the use of the abortion pill in places like Family Planning clinics,” Dame Margaret said.

Until Parliament acts to enshrine women’s reproductive rights in law, this kind of costly legal harassment will continue, she said.

*For a timeline of the Right to Life case, visit:* http://www.alranz.org/RTLvASCcourtcase.htm

ENDS

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