Recommendation on abortion condemned

Press, 10 June 1977, Page 17

Recommendation on abortion condemned

The Royal Commission on contraception. -.lerili.-a: (nd abortion, the Roman -cholic Church, he Society or the Protection the nborn Child, and Di M. D. Matich, a member of the commission, all took a verbal lashing in the Town Hall when the Christchurch branch of the Abortion Law Reform Association called a •meeting to protest against, the commission's findings. The Conference Room was filled to overflowing to hear 11 speakers, led by Dr D. Minnitt, chairman of the General Practitioners’ .Society. They all expressed complete dissatisfaction with the commission's recommendations on abortion, hut varvling degrees of satisfaction

i w"h ii„» finding* vn ■■ n given u variety of ■ lions — ranging from: "Ai act of political expediency. ' to "a group that overlooks specialist evidence.” It wai I “confused." “unable to eva' uate scientific evidence.' ' “insulted women," unthinking views ot society." and "forced womci to be the brood mares of tin nation.” Dr Minnitt said the com mission ought to lave hac four women (there wen three women and thru men). Dr Matich's influenci on the commission had beet an important one, he said. "He must have lad a' ally. It was probabh th. judge (Mr Justice McMullii was the commission's chan t ). and they overwhelms the rest." The Rev. J Elvidge. of th. Ca • pbe I I Co'in-.elhn. V itre. outlined the Preshy Brian Church's stand for re form of the abortion law>. and contrasted it with tin stand of the Roman Cathoi Church. He said be preferred th opinion of the former, bi cause decisions were arrivec a democratically, not auto cratically. The meeting pas-ed thr« resolutions — that it had n< [confidence tn the abortiot section of the commissionrecommendations; tl.at tin proposed panel system Io interviewing women shou'i b rejected, because abortiot was a matter for decision • between an individua woman and her doctor; am that counselling should no be compulsory . It was noted that the la' i ter resolution was redundan' •'if the second resolution v, . accepted. 11 • I