Right to Life believes that the Privacy Commissioner, John Edwards, has made a fundemental error of judgement in his submission to the law Commision by recommending that abortion be taken out of the Crimes Act and made a “reproductive choice for women.”

The Commissioner made the astounding claim that having abortion included under the Crimes Act was a breach of the privacy of the woman. His reasoning was that it exposed reproductive health information to the criminal justice system. This statement is simply absurd as no women has ever been or can be charged with crime when she has an abortion under the provisions of either the Crimes Act 1961, or the Contraception Steralisation and Abortion Act 1977.

In a media release dated 23rd November 2018 he stated, “Our submission stressed that abortion engages a fundamental right inherent in bodily autonomy and self-determination.” By declaring this he is effectively stating that Abortion is a human right. This is totally incorrect. Abortion is not and never will be a ‘fundemental right’.  He also states that “Abortion also engages informational privacy rights and the expectation of privacy and confidentiality in relation to health information”.

Right to Life challenges these false and unsupported statements. It is astounding that the Commissioner who is a reputable human rights lawyer has made a statement that Right to Life believes is not supported by any law in New Zealand or by any United Nations Convention. He is using the Privacy Act to make lies acceptable and murder respectable.

It is appalling that he does not recognise the unborn child’s inalienable right to its life  and its right to privacy in its mother’s womb, its home for the first nine months of its life. This right to life and privacy is provided by the Crimes Act sections 182 and 183.

The Commissioner supports the “bodily autonomy and self-determination” of the woman, but completely ignores the right to the bodily autonomy and self-determination of the unborn. The unborn child is a separate human being with its own body, its own blood supply and its own heart and bodily systems. We should behold this new unique miracle of God’s creation with profound awe and respect. From the moment of implantation, the unborn child who is in control of the pregnancy, is totally focused on its growth and development as it prepares for birth.

It is simply appalling that our learned Commissioner supports the right of abortionists to invade the privacy of the home of the defenceless unborn child for the purpose of violently killing the child by tearing off its head, arms and legs.

Right to Life believes that the Commissioner acted unlawfully and in fact is himself in breach of the Privacy Act 1993 and its twelve privacy principles by expressing support for the decriminalisation of abortion.

Right to Life encourages the Commissioner to accept the unborn child as the weakest and most defenceless member of the human family. As a renowned human rights lawyer we ask him to not use his office as an agent of execution but to provide a noble defence of the right to life of our precious unborn and for the welfare of their mothers.

Ken Orr
Spokesperson,
Right to Life