Court Denies Our Most Basic Right - The Right To Life

The Kiwi Party

Press Release June 3, 2011
"The Kiwi Party deeply regrets the decision handed down by the Court of Appeal in which the judges ruled that NZ law does not recognise or confer a right to life on the unborn child", says Simonne Dyer deputy leader of the party. "The Party also deeply regrets that the Court quashed the findings of a High Court judge who questioned in a 2008 case the lawfulness of many abortions in New Zealand.

"Our abortion rate is New Zealand is high and in spite of studies that show women who had an abortion face a 30% increase in the risk of developing common mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, nothing is being done to help women understand the risks involved through good counselling before making a decision to abort their baby", continued Dyer.

"Under the current Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion Act 1978 abortion counselling is not required, it is only offered. Under section 35, the woman must be informed of her right to counselling, but she does not have to receive counselling on the nature of the procedure, the risks involved and the alternative options she has. This counselling is also only offered once the abortion has been certified and the woman is about to have the abortion, meaning there is no discussion of the different options prior to the decision being made to have the abortion certified.

"The Kiwi Party supports former MP Gordon Copeland's proposed Abortion (Informed and Free Consent) Amendment Bill which would require counselling for a mother before she makes a final and free request to be considered for an abortion in accordance with the current Abortion Law. This counselling would be independent of the abortion clinic and not provided by the clinic and would then be followed by a 72 hour period before the decision is made as to whether to abort or not. This process has been legislated by several other nations in Europe with resulting lower rates of abortion and mental distress among the mothers.

"Since the unborn cannot rely upon the courts or parliament to protect them we must do our best to ensure their mothers make the right choice", concluded Dyer.

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