Following the release of the 2008 abortion statistics by Stats NZ, Dr. Margaret Sparrow, President of the Abortion Law Reform Association [ALRANZ] made the following statement,
“We would like to see the abortion law reflecting what happens. We totally agree with the anti-abortion groups who say that it is ridiculous that 98 per cent of abortions in New Zealand are done on mental health grounds, because that is patently a farce.”
I pretty much agree. However it is patently unjust to base legislation on a moral issue like this simply on “what happens”. Using this logic, we could pass a law to legalise rape – simply because an extremely large number of rapes were taking place. David Lane of the Society for the Promotion of Community Standards made the following comment,
Dr Sparrow was for many years the Director of the Parkview Abortion facility in Wellington and during this time terminated the lives of thousands of unborn children, her statement must be taken very seriously. Dr Sparrow is stating clearly that certifying consultants are using mental health grounds to authorise abortions to provide abortion on demand, abortion on demand is unlawful. The Crimes Act requires that doctors must have good faith in their belief that the continued life of the unborn child represents a serious threat to the mental health of the woman. The failure of doctors to have good faith renders the abortion unlawful. Dr Sparrow’s statement indicates that many unborn children are being deprived of their lives unlawfully. This is a serious injustice and a violation of the right to life of unborn children. It also undermines the rule of law.
Dr. Sparrow is an anti-life extremist who is calling for abortion on demand in New Zealand. While her solution to the high number of unlawful abortions is deplorable, she is correct that the application of NZ’s abortion law is farcical.
