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| MEDIA RELEASE:MP LAUNCHES BILL TO UPDATE LAW TO PROTECT WOMEN AND HEALTH PROFESSIONALS (JULY 2007)Law Reform DocumentsALRA strongly supports the Crimes (Decriminalisation of Abortion) Bill 2007 introduced into Parliament by Candy Broad on 17th July 2007 (Also see link to Briefing Paper no. 3). Below is a copy of this Bill, the accompanying Explanatory Memorandum and the Second Reading speech.
A comparison of the current position, the alternate Health (Amendment) Bill 2007, and the Crimes (Decriminalisation of Abortion) Bill 2007 is available here  About the AssociationIn 2005 The Association for the Legal Right to Abortion (ALRA) was formed and has a broad-range of members from across the community, including men and women from all political perspectives. We believe that removing abortion from the Crimes Act is essential to protect women and health professionals and ensure that services are high-quality, safe and available. The Association is asking Victorian state members of parliament to take the action to match the legal position of abortion in Victoria to the views of the majority of the community.
PurposeThe purposes of the Association for the Legal Right to Abortion (ALRA) in Victoria are:
Why should abortion be decriminalised in Victoria.Currently, abortions are permitted under medical supervision and medical advice in Victoria yet the procedure remains in the Crimes Act. This legal ambiguity means that health professionals and women are open to the risk of prosecution, and results in a shortage of public sector services especially in regional and rural areas. It also encourages harassment of doctors and patients and their families.The legal situation also allows hospitals and doctors to avoid their responsibility to provide a full range of medical services to their communities, including reproductive health services, and including abortion.We need to remove termination of pregnancy from the Crimes Act to protect women and health professionals and ensure that services are high-quality, available and safe.The decision to terminate a pregnancy can be a very one and women and their partners can be trusted to make the right decisions for themselves and their familiesDecriminalising termination of pregnancy would allow the law to reflect the view of the majority of the community. Numerous studies show that the majority of Australians support access to safe and legal termination of pregnancy. A 2003 independent study found that more than 80% of people believe that women should have the right to choose whether to have a termination. These are men and women from a broad cross-section of the community and include those who identify themselves as having a religion. In Australia 85% of General Practitioners believe women should have lawful and safe access to termination of pregnancy.
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