Northern Territory
Criminal Code of the Northern Territory of Australia
174. Medical termination
of
pregnancy
(1) It is lawful -
(a) for a medical practitioner who is a gynaecologist or obstetrician
to give medical treatment with the intention of procuring the miscarriage
of a woman or girl who, he has reasonable cause to believe after medically
examining her, has been pregnant for not more than 14 weeks if the medical
treatment is given in hospital and the medical practitioner and another
medical practitioner are of the opinion, formed in good faith after
medical examination of the woman or girl by them, that -
(i) the continuance of the pregnancy would involve greater risk
to her life or greater risk of injury to her physical or mental health
than if the pregnancy were terminated; or
(ii) there is a substantial risk that, if the
pregnancy were not
terminated and the child were to be born, the child would have or suffer
from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped;
(b) for a medical practitioner to give medical treatment with the
intention of procuring the miscarriage of a woman or girl who, he has
reasonable cause to believe after medically examining her, has been
pregnant for not more than 23 weeks if the medical practitioner is of the
opinion, formed in good faith after his medical examination of her, that termination
of the pregnancy is immediately necessary to prevent grave injury
to her physical or mental health; or
(c) for a medical practitioner to give medical treatment with the
intention of procuring the miscarriage of a woman or girl if the treatment
is given in good faith for the purpose only of preserving her life.
(2) No person is under a duty, whether by contract or otherwise, to
procure or to assist in procuring the miscarriage of a woman or girl or to
dispose of or to assist in disposing of an aborted foetus if he has a
conscientious objection thereto, but, in any legal proceedings, the burden
of proving such a conscientious objection shall rest upon the person
claiming to have it . . .