Australia: Northern Territory Parliament Passes Bill to Decriminalize Abortion, Improve Access
(Mar. 28, 2017) On March 21, 2017, Australia’s Northern Territory Parliament voted to pass the Termination of Pregnancy Law Reform Bill 2017 (NT) (Northern Territory Legislation website). The Bill amends part VI, division 8, of the Criminal Code Act (NT), which currently criminalizes the administration of a drug or use of an instrument with the intention of procuring a woman’s miscarriage. (Criminal Code Act (NT), s 208B, as in force at Nov. 1, 2016, Northern Territory Legislation website.) It also repeals the current provision in the Medical Services Act (NT) that sets out the circumstances in which it is lawful for a medical practitioner to give medical treatment intended to terminate a pregnancy, replacing this with the new abortion law framework provided by the Bill. (Medical Services Act (NT), s 11, as in force July 1, 2014, Northern Territory Legislation website.)
Continued at source: Law Library of Congress: http://www.loc.gov/law/foreign-news/article/australia-northern-territory-parliament-passes-bill-to-decriminalize-abortion-improve-access/