State of Victoria, Australia demands referral, performance of abortions
Abortion Law Reform Act 2008
Australia (October, 2008)
The
Abortion Law Reform Act 2008 legalized abortion in the State of
Victoria, Australia. It came into effect on 22 October, 2008.
Section 8 of
the Act (reproduced below) demands that physicians who object to
abortion for reasons of conscience refer a woman to a colleague who has
no such objections in order to facilitate the procedure, and requires
physicians to perform abortions if necessary "to preserve the life of the
pregnant woman." Many physicians who object to abortion also object to
referral for abortion on the grounds that to refer or otherwise facilitate
the procedure makes them morally complicit in it.
Doctors in Conscience Against Abortion Bill was formed to oppose the measure.
PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA
Abortion Law Reform Act 2008
8. Obligations of registered health practitioner who has conscientious
objection
(1) If a woman requests a registered health practitioner to advise on a
proposed abortion, or to perform, direct, authorise or supervise an abortion
for that woman, and the practitioner has a conscientious objection to
abortion, the practitioner must-
(a) inform the woman that the practitioner has a conscientious
objection to abortion; and
(b) refer the woman to another registered health practitioner in the
same regulated health profession who the practitioner knows does not
have a conscientious objection to abortion.
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a practitioner who is under a duty
set out in subsection (3) or (4).
(3) Despite any conscientious objection to abortion, a registered medical
practitioner is under a duty to perform an abortion in an emergency where
the abortion is necessary to preserve the life of the pregnant woman.
(4) Despite any conscientious objection to abortion, a registered nurse
is under a duty to assist a registered medical practitioner in performing an
abortion in an emergency where the abortion is necessary to preserve the
life of the pregnant woman.