Reforms to Guernsey’s abortion law approved

Tina Bury, who presented the proposals on behalf of the committee, said last-minute attempts to delay and then to alter the new legislation had been disappointing, but support today in the States to update the island’s legislation was the outcome she had hoped for.

The updated legislation will raise the gestation time limit from 12 to 24 weeks for abortions where there is no severe abnormality, and to full term where there is.

Listen to Six-Minute States, a bite-sized summary of today at the States...

Meanwhile, women who abort or attempt to abort their unborn foetus at any stage will no longer face criminal proceedings, but will instead be offered medical assistance.

Deputy John Gollop had attempted to change the 24-week limit to 22 weeks, with a late amendment. This followed Deputy Carl Meerveld’s failed attempt to delay the law’s implementation for further consultation.

‘Last-minute amendments, particularly in regards to something so critical, is really not something I can support,’ Deputy Bury said.

‘The guidance that we are following from the medical bodies is 24 weeks. One of the driving factors behind updating the legislation was that our medical practitioners were saying that they were having to operate outside of their guidelines, so going to 22 weeks wouldn’t have achieved our goal.’

The States approved the new legislation by 27 votes to 11.

FOR: Deputies Moakes, Murray, Oliver, Parkinson, Roffey, Soulsby, St Pier, Taylor, Trott, Vermeulen, Brouard, Burford, Bury, Cameron, De Lisle, de Sausmarez, Fairclough, Ferbrache, Gabriel, Gollop, Helyar, Kazantseva-Miller, Leadbeater, Mahoney, Matthews, and Alderney representatives Roberts and Snowdon. Total: 27

AGAINST: Deputies Meerveld, Prow, Queripel, Aldwell, Blin, Dudley-Owen, Dyke, Falla, Haskins, Le Tocq, McKenna. Total: 11

ABSTENTION: Deputy Inder