Termination of pregnancy should be legal in NSW

Women and doctors currently face 10 years imprisonment for procuring or receiving an abortion. This law was written in the crimes act 119 years ago.

Between one quarter and one third of Australian women will experience an abortion in their lifetime. The criminalisation of abortion leaves women in NSW at the mercy of doctors, who then make decisions about whether the woman’s pregnancy will proceed, based on the doctor’s view of the woman’s physical and mental state.

Women should have the right to access safe and legal terminations in NSW - just like they do in every state and territory throughout the rest of Australia (apart from Queensland).

Reverend Simon Hansford told the ABC the Uniting Church believes abortion should not be treated as a criminal issue and moral judgement should not be passed on the act itself. "There's a whole series of understandings of what terminations are about. The reasons for it, women's lives, children's lives — a whole range of things and it can't be simplified down into a black and white issue."

Unplanned pregnancy can create emotional turmoil for women and this is exacerbated by this outdated law which makes terminations a crime in NSW. Our country is struggling to cope with the number of children living in poverty and experiencing abuse and neglect. The incidence of mental health issues are also soaring in Australia. We need legal and safe access to this basic health service for women in NSW.