Anti-abortionists take fight to court

An anti-abortion group has filed legal action in the High Court at Wellington against the Abortion Supervisory Committee, saying it has misinterpreted the law and allowed too many abortions.

Right To Life New Zealand said the Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion Act 1977 was passed "with the objectives of stopping abortion on demand and to provide effective legal protection for unborn children".

But it argued that successive governments since 1978 had failed to correctly apply the act. The interpretations by the Government and the committee had, in fact, produced abortion on demand, Right To Life said.

The Attorney-General will be the second defendant in the case.

Right To Life said 98 per cent of abortions had been authorised on mental health grounds.

"It is our belief that these abortions are for socio-economic reasons masquerading as psychiatric," it said.

"Evidence will be given by Right To Life that the committee has failed to hold certifying consultants accountable for the lawfulness of their authorisations for abortion."

The supervisory committee reported to Parliament last October that 18,511 abortions were performed in 2003.

- NZPA