Group claims abortions 'unlawful'

Right To Life is claiming that medical abortions provided by Tauranga Family Planning are unlawful.

Right To Life is going to the High Court claiming that medical abortions provided by Tauranga Family Planning are unlawful.

In 2013, Tauranga Family Planning was granted a licence by the Abortion Supervisory Committee to provide medical abortions at its 10th Ave clinic, the only Family Planning centre in the country to do so.

Medical abortions, where a woman takes a pill rather than having surgery, can be performed up to nine weeks of pregnancy.

Right To Life spokesman Ken Orr said the Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion Act 1977 was written in a time before medical abortions were available and therefore, Right To Life believed the Abortion Supervisory Committee could not lawfully issue a licence for medical abortions.

The case will go before the Wellington High Court on June 2 for its first hearing.

"Our rationale for our involvement is we are very determined to do everything possible to provide legal protection for women.

"The court action is nothing specific against Tauranga, it's just the principle of it."

New Zealand Family Planning chief executive Jackie Edmonds said it would be business as usual at Tauranga Family Planning.

"We're providing a service as we always have, nothing has changed for us.

"We're also looking for other opportunities to expand our services elsewhere."