The law on abortion

Press, 21 October 1983, Page 20

The law on abortion

Parliament, faced with a choice between two bills that steered towards the extreme and opposite points of view about abortion, has chosen to reject them both. In voting to maintain the law on abortion unchanged, members of Parliament are not necessarily indicating their approval of the law. They have recognised that while the present law may be criticised by almost everyone, a change in either direction is likely to produce an equally unpopular law. Whether a change was made towards making abortions easier to obtain, or more difficult to obtain, part of the community would be pleased and part of it would be outraged. Both parts take a position of morality, public and private; and some would be pleased only if there were no law at all. Moving the fence, on which no-one sits, between the two extreme positions does not alter the degree of dissatisfaction with the place of the fence in the conflict.

The voting in Parliament to reject both proposed changes may be taken as a fair indication of what a large proportion of the community feels about reopening the question. The Parliamentary test is a kind of poll in itself, though it must be acknowledged that the composition of Parliament does not reflect the

balance of men and women in the community. Against this must rest the assumption that members have kept themselves reasonably informed on the feelings of the community as a whole.

Parliament has been wise to deal swiftly with a matter that arouses division and passion in the community each time it is aired. Not that the last has been heard of the abortion debate. Those who believe that abortion is a matter of individual conscience and choice, in which the community has no right to intrude, will continue to press for the repeal of the Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion Act. Those who believe that abortion is a matter of public morality, and that the State has an obligation to protect unborn citizens, will continue to seek changes that would make abortions more difficult to obtain.

Most people in the community have firm views on one side or the other. Most also recognise that no compromise is possible between the extreme positions and that any law intended to be acceptable to a majority of people will have to adopt an unsatisfactory middle ground. However the law shifts one way or another, short of taking an extreme position, the ultimate test, for approval or disapproval, will lie in this law’s administration.