The petition of Queensland citizens draws to the attention of the House to the fact that termination of pregnancy remains a criminal offence in Queensland.  Under the current legislation, women are at risk of criminal prosecution for accessing a safe medical procedure.  Health professionals also remain at risk of prosecution for providing safe abortion services to women.

Queensland law on this matter is increasingly out of step with other Australian states and territories.  In 2002, the ACT Legislative Assembly removed abortion from the Crimes Act.  In 2008, the Victorian government also removed abortion from the Crimes Act. The majority of public opinion in Queensland has consistently supported the decriminalisation of abortion.

Your petitioners therefore request the House to:

• recommend to the Queensland Police Commissioner and the Director of Public Prosecutions that the charges against the young Queensland woman who is currently being prosecuted for procuring her own abortion under section 225 of the Criminal Code, and her partner who is charged under section 226 with assisting her, be withdrawn forthwith;
• repeal sections, 224, 225 and 226 of the Criminal Code to ensure that termination of pregnancy is no longer subject to criminal law, and provide an alternative legislative framework for the provision of safe medical and surgical abortion in Queensland; and
• support funding for abortion services through the public health system, with full Medicare coverage for terminations.