The Speaker of the House of Commons has ruled out of order 13 proposed amendments, while permitting 14, of which a number cover the same ground.
RULED OUT OF ORDER
– Prohibition Of Abortion After 20 Weeks;
– Insistence On Abortions Being Done In A “Medical Facility”;
– Insistence on a second medical opinion;
– Prohibit abortions “to prevent the birth of a deformed or mentally handicapped fetus;
– Adding a conscience clause for doctors and nurses to opt out of committing abortions;
PERMITTED
Amendments requesting to:
a) increase the time of imprisonment for breaking the law from two to twenty years;
b) limit the legal performance of abortion to medical practitioners;
c) delete “health” as a legal criterion for abortion;
d) delete the “definition” of health;
e) circumscribe health by deleting “psychological”’
AND FROM THE PRO-ABORTIONIST SIDE:
f) repeal Sections 287 and 288 entirely;
What do these amendments signify for pro-lifers? With one exception, ©, nothing at all.
Twenty years’ experience has shown that abortionists pay no attention to definitions of health; they do them for any reason whatsoever. Consequently, only the elimination of the term “health”, as requested by Don Boudria – see © – would restrict abortions (to “life” threatening situations) and would have any effect at all.
This is the only amendment which is worthy of support from Pro-life MPs.