New group calls for further discussion on abortion law

Both Lives Matter – Guernsey was set up as the island’s coronavirus lockdown started to ease and the proposed changes appeared in the States agenda.

Spokeswoman Maria O’Brien said the group formed through word of mouth and has brought together a number of like-minded people.

Also involved in the group’s formation was John Ogier, who said his role was to carry out research on the subject, both to inform the position of the group and the debate in general.

The group has sent a letter to all deputies urging them to hold back on debating the issue: ‘Regardless of your views on abortion, it would be inappropriate to rush through such significant and sensitive changes in the midst of a global pandemic,’ it said.

Mrs O’Brien said that the group is hoping for someone to propose that debate is deferred from 17 June to allow time for a public discussion.

Health & Social Care had intended to host a public meeting in March, but this was cancelled due to the pandemic.

Mrs O’Brien said the meeting would have seen a pro-choice gynaecologist as the main speaker and Both Lives Matter wanted to see a meeting where both sides were represented.

A ‘correspondence consultation’ was undertaken by HSC from the start of June, running for 12 days.

But Mrs O’Brien could not see how this can conclude on 12 June and give time for proper consideration before the 17 June meeting.

‘Regardless of their views, I think most people recognise the seriousness of the issue and what’s at stake here,’ said Mrs O’Brien.

Jenny Hooper, the mother of a disabled daughter who has been heavily involved with the WigWam charity, is also a spokeswoman for Both Lives Matter.

Among the group’s concerns is that the changes to the abortion law will allow terminations of pregnancy right up to birth in the case of a baby that is going to be born with a disability, such as Down syndrome: ‘To take a life because it has a disability is wrong, full stop,’ said Mrs Hooper.

This aspect of the law has been highlighted in the UK recently by Heidi Crowter, who has Down syndrome and is taking the government to court over what she calls ‘downright discrimination’ against disabled people in the abortion law, which the Guernsey one is set to reflect if the changes are passed.

HSC has refuted that this will happen, though, and in a letter published in the Guernsey Press it said that this aspect of the law is designed to affect only those foetuses that would be unviable if born: ‘Some women will – understandably – find it unbearable to carry a pregnancy to term, and then to give birth, if they know that their child is not going to survive,’ wrote the committee.

Both Lives Matter argues that the proposed law or guidelines do not specify any restrictions, leaving open the possibility of abortion up until birth for minor or ‘possible’ foetal abnormalities.

It has issued 12 main concerns about the proposed changes, including doing away with the need for two doctors to ‘sign off’ on an abortion, and allowing midwives and nurses, not just doctors, to perform certain abortions away from hospital: ‘This downgrades the common perception of abortion from a significant medical procedure to a routine, minor one – something advocates of this new law are keen to do,’ said the group.

• Anyone who would like more information can email BothLivesMatterGuernsey@gmail.com and the group also has a Facebook page – facebook.com/BothLivesMatterGuernsey.