Bids to reduce abortion time limits rejected

Health & Social Care proposed extending the time limit for on-island abortions from 12 to 24 weeks, with no upper time limit for those diagnosed to be born with a foetal anomaly, including syndromes that were not compatible with life.

Two amendments laid by Deputy Jane Stephens and seconded by Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq sought to ‘ensure there is no discrimination on the basis of disability’.

The first went furthest, saying all abortions, other than those necessary to save the life of, or to prevent grave or permanent injury to the pregnant woman, should be carried out to the same gestational limit.

The second added the clause: ‘Except where the foetus is diagnosed as having a fatal abnormality.’

But the diagnosis of fatal foetal abnormality should not include a diagnosis that a foetus or child has a non-fatal condition such as Down syndrome or a cleft palate.

Another amendment, laid by Deputy Le Tocq and seconded by Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen, wanted the time limits for abortions in Guernsey to keep apace with the latest developments in UK law.

A last-minute amendment laid by Deputy Dudley-Owen and Deputy Richard Graham wanted to reduce the proposed extension of the gestation threshold from 24 weeks to 16 weeks.

She said although she was a supporter of informed choice for women, she could not reconcile herself with the ‘social reasons’ behind abortion.

Deputy Matt Fallaize said the practicality of all these amendments together meant an unwinding of the reform law agreed in the late 1990s by calling for consistency on time limits regardless of whether the child will be born with abnormalities, with the Dudley-Owen amendment reducing it as far back as 16 weeks gestation.

HSC president Deputy Heidi Soulsby said the amendments clearly were not about discrimination and were a distraction technique.

She said it was disgusting that Deputies Le Tocq and Stephens weaponised disabled people to push their agenda which, she said, was clearly anti-abortion.

‘If our proposals really were discriminatory do you think that the States’ disability champion Sarah Hansmann-Rouxel and Deputy McSwiggan, who has done so much for disability rights, would support them fully?’ she asked.

In rebuttal, Deputy Stephens said as the first disability champion and someone who has done a lot of work for the disabled community, her main concern was giving added protection to disabled babies with a detectable condition.

‘And that is not a disgusting intention to have,’ she said.

All four amendments failed.