Upholding the sanctity of Human life and Standing Up for the Vulnerable
Right to Life is pleased that Parliament has moved to recommend to the Governor General that Dr Tangimoana Francis Habib, be appointed to the Abortion Supervisory Committee. Dr Habib replaces Dr Rosemary Fenwicke who resigned from the Committee in July 2010.
Professor Dame Linda Jane Holloway of Dunedin and Reverend Patricia Anne Allan of Christchurch have been reappointed to the Committee for a further term of three years. Professor Holloway continues as Chairperson of the Committee.
2 April 2011
The Secretary,
Abortion supervisory committee,
Private Bag 32001,
Panama Street,
Wellington 6011.
Dear Ms Cole
Re: Official Information Act Request – Statistics
I wish to request under the Official Information Act the following information.
The number of abortions reported to the Committee for the years 2009 and 2010 for unborn children who were diagnosed with Trisomy 21 or Down syndrome, whose abortions were authorised in accordance with s 187A [1][aa ]of the Crimes Act 1961.
In previous correspondence the Committee has advised that in response to the following question;
Does the Committee accept that Down syndrome is a mild to moderate disability and as such does not reach the threshold of a serious handicap as required by s 187A [1] [aa]of the Crimes Act 1961.
“The Abortion Supervisory Committee has no view on this matter. It is not the Committee’s role to determine the level of disability associated with Down syndrome.”
Our Society readily agrees that the Committee has no responsibility to determine the level of disability, we do however believe that the Committee has a duty to ensure that in accordance with s 187 A [aa] babies with a mild to moderate disability are not being deprived unlawfully of their lives. As previously advised in our letter of 29 December 2009, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in the United States recognise that Down syndrome results in a mild to moderate range of retardation and associated medical problems, this is also the finding of the World Health Organisation. The Crimes Act. s 187A [aa], states “That there is a substantial risk that the child, if born, would be so physically or mentally abnormal as to be seriously handicapped…”This ground relates to a pregnancy of not more that 20 weeks gestation.
It is the opinion of this Society that abortions on unborn babies diagnosed with Down syndrome and authorised on the grounds of fetal abnormality are of questionable legality. Section 14 [1] [i] of the Contraception Sterilisation and Abortion Act 1977 requires that the Committee takes all reasonable steps to ensure that the administration of the abortion law is consistent throughout New Zealand…
Does the Committee believe that it has a duty to protect the lives of babies with Down syndrome to ensure that they are not being deprived of their right to life on the grounds of fetal abnormality?
You have previously advised that, “a fetal abnormality may have been recorded as being present, but was not necessarily the reason for the abortion being performed.”
If a fetal abnormality is recorded under grounds on the certificate how could it not be the grounds?
Are certifying consultants required, when completing the report required to indicate the specific fetal abnormality?
I wish to request a copy of a set of the current forms completed by certifying consultants when authorizing an abortion.
What process has the Committee in place to check that the grounds recorded on the certificates for abortions comply with the grounds provided for in the Crimes Act, 1961?
Thank you for your assistance with this enquiry.
Yours sincerely
Ken Orr
Trish Grant,
Advocacy,
I H C,
PO Box 4155,
Wellington.
Dear Trish
Re: Quality Improved Screening Programme – Down Syndrome
Our Society applauds and supports the wonderful work that IHC provides in our community to promote the welfare of those with a disability.
Our Society wishes to invite families who have children who have been born with Down syndrome to support our Society’s submission that the government’s national pre- natal Quality Improved screening programme constitutes genocide against unborn children who are diagnosed as having Down syndrome. We are awaiting the outcome of our complaint to the Human Rights Tribunal. In the event that our complaint is rejected by the Tribunal it is our intention to present our complaint to the Committee for the Prevention of Genocide at the United Nations in New York. We would be grateful if you would support this submission by publicising our invitation through your Society’s newsletters. For your information the following is our case in support of our submission.
Antenatal screening for Down syndrome: Proceedings launched with the Human Rights Review Tribunal
A complaint was recently raised with the Prime Minister that the government’s antenatal screening programme for Down syndrome is genocide, a crime against humanity. Health Minister Tony Ryall has since advised that the government has no plans to cease the screening programme.
A group of seventeen concerned parents and Right to Life NZ (Inc) have now approached the Director of Human Rights Proceedings to represent them to bring group proceedings before the Human Rights Review Tribunal under s.80(4) of the Human Rights Act 1993 on the grounds that the screening programme for Down syndrome:
10 February 2011
The Secretary,
Abortion Supervisory Committee,
Private Bag 32001,
Wellington 6146.
Dear Secretary
Family Planning Association Application for Abortion Licence
I refer to earlier correspondence to this matter.
It is still the intention of Right to Life New Zealand Inc to apply to the Court under s 28 of the Contraception Sterilisation and Abortion Act 1977 for a case stated for the opinion of the High Court on the meaning of s 21 [2] [b] of the Act.
My executive had been awaiting the outcome of the appeal currently before the Court of Appeal on issues relating to the role and powers of the Supervisory Committee. As you will know, that judgment has not yet been given and rather than delay this matter further we are proceeding to instruct counsel to prepare the necessary application.
Yours faithfully
Ken Orr
Secretary
See September 22nd 2010 Post on RTL Website (posted below for convenience)
Right to Life wholeheartedly supports the call of Len Blackerby for legal recognition of the right to life of unborn children. Mr Blackerby is mourning the loss of his wife Anne-Maree and their unborn daughter, Siobena Maree who were killed by an alleged drunk driver. There were two precious human lives killed in this tragic accident. As the child is not recognised in law, the drunk driver cannot be charged with causing the death of the child. All New Zealand will share his grief and hopefully support his appeal to the government for the human rights of unborn children to be recognised and enshrined in law.
The child was 28 weeks old and had reached the age of viability. It was a real human person, much wanted and dearly loved by the parents. It was a member of the family and of our community. The grief of the family is very real and painful. The law is unjust, it fails to recognise that human life begins at conception and is endowed by its Creator with human rights, the foundation right being a right to life and the right to be born. The failure of the law to recognise the existence and the rights of the child adds to the grief of the family.
A lawyer who refused to seek bail for a drug-addicted pregnant client assigned to him is being hailed as a hero.
Child advocate Christine Rankin said lawyer Tony Bouchier’s actions were heroic, after he contacted Child, Youth and Family about the case.
Six months pregnant Isabelle Kare Brown, 35, who is on a methadone programme, was charged with possessing instruments for methamphetamine use, and appeared in court last week, after police found her living rough in a garden shed in the Auckland suburb of Glen Innes.
"I’m supposed to go and get her bail but I know where she’s going to go," he said. "I know I’m sticking my neck out to a degree, but morally, I think I’m right.
"Morally, I think looking out for Isabelle is looking out for the baby. Isabelle is not concerned with the baby. Isabelle is concerned about Isabelle."
For more on this article from Stuff click here to visit the article on their website
“help us help them”Right to Life needs your generous support. Together we can achieve more for the unborn child and their mothers in 2011.
Right to Life has won important victories in the High Court in 2008. The Court found that we had abortion on demand and that there was serious concern about the lawfulness of many abortions. It found that certifying consultants were accountable to the Abortion Supervisory Committee for the lawfulness of abortions.
The Crown appealed the judgment to the Court of Appeal, the judgment has been reserved. The judgment is expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court. Help stop Family Planning. Right to Life is undertaking a new High Court action to stop Family Planning obtaining abortion licences to kill unborn children at its Hamilton clinic and its other 29 clinics.
To make a donation today, please visit the Donation Page.
Right to Life (NZ) Inc is delighted to announce that the Papal Medal has been presented to Mr Ken Orr, by Bishop Barry Jones, DD, at St Mary’s Catholic church, Christchurch , on Saturday 13 November.
The award is titled “Pro Ecclesia Et Pontifice” (for Church and Pope) and it was presented to Ken for his many years of service to the pro-life movement and for his services to the Catholic church.
This is the highest honour which the Catholic church can bestow upon a lay person (that is a person who is not a clergyman).
Kenneth Alfred Orr has been involved in the struggle to uphold and defend life from conception from the early 1970s until the present day. As well as being a long time committee member of Right to Life since its founding in 1999, he was formerly a National Executive member in the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child.
Gordon Copeland, President of the Kiwi Party presents a strategy for taking back the ground lost in the battle for the life of the unborn child
To change the Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion Act 1977(the CSA Act) to:
1. introduce compulsory professional counselling for the women with child, prior to a decision being made to proceed or otherwise with an abortion – including ultra sound imaging.
2. require these counselling services to be completely independent of the abortion clinic.
3. require the woman’s own doctor to certify that such counselling has been provided and that the woman is making the decision to abort of her own free will, before submitting the case to the certifying consultants.
Goal: To see the number of abortions performed in New Zealand significantly reduced.
A study was made in 2009 into the delays experienced by women seeking an abortion. The study was conducted at 9 abortion facilities and included 2150 women. The study was conducted by Dr Martha Silva and two associates from the University of Auckland. The study found that the average delay from the time of referral at the clinic to the abortion was 25 days. The Abortion Supervisory Committee recommended that the delay should not exceed 2 weeks. Studies done overseas had revealed that women who have made a decision to terminate the life of their child suffer stress, anxiety and a diminished quality of life if they are required to wait for an abortion. The study promotes a culture of death. It is appalling that Dr Silva wants to have a debate about the best time to kill the child.
Dr Silva states that “abortion is a safe procedure and should be carried out at the earliest gestation possible” Abortion is promoted by abortion providers as a safe procedure and of benefit to women. They say every effort must be made to ensure that women have access to safe and speedy abortion services. Right to Life challenges this assumption. Human life begins at conception and the human embryo should be accorded the respect that is due to the human person. At 10 weeks the child in the womb has a beating heart with its organs – brain, liver, kidneys and stomach functioning, it is recognisably human , with a head, face, body and tiny arms, legs, fingers and toes.