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Referral

On 17 August 2016 Mr Rob Pyne MP, the Member for Cairns, introduced the Health (Abortion Law Reform) Amendment Bill 2016 as a Private Member’s Bill.

View: Bill
View: Exp Note
View: Explanatory Speech

The Bill has been referred to the Health, Communities, Disability Services and Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Committee for consideration.

The Bill

The Explanatory Notes state that the policy objectives of the Bill are:

The Bill will improve clarity for health professionals and patients in the area of medical termination of pregnancy. There currently exists a lack of clarity around what point during gestation and for what reasons a termination of pregnancy may be performed in Queensland. The Bill seeks to clarify when care can be imparted and to avoid prolonged approval and ethics processes (not conducted for the benefit of patients’ wellbeing but to substantiate lawfulness).

In summary, the Bill provides for the matters below.  This is a summary only, and is not a substitute for reading the Bill and the Explanatory Notes (see links above):

only a doctor may perform an abortion: a person who is not a doctor (or a registered nurse administering a drug to perform an abortion under the direction of a doctor) would commit an offence.

a woman does not commit an offence by performing, consenting to or assisting in an abortion on herself

an abortion on a woman who is more than 24 weeks pregnant may be performed only if two doctors reasonably believe the continuation of the woman’s pregnancy would involve greater risk of injury to the physical or mental health of the woman than if the pregnancy were terminated

conscientious objection: no-one is under a duty to perform or assist in performing an abortion; however a doctor has a duty to perform an abortion if it is necessary to save a woman’s life or prevent serious physical injury. Also, a registered nurse has a duty to assist in such circumstances.

patient protection or ‘safe zones’: a protected zone of at least 50 metres must be declared around an abortion facility; certain behaviour, e.g. harassment and intimidation, is prohibited within a protected zone. Publishing images of a person entering, leaving or trying to enter or leave an abortion facility is prohibited.

Submissions

Submissions closed 4.00pm, Thursday 6 October 2016.

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