South Africa: Parliament rejects ACDP’s abortion bill

Parliament rejects ACDP’s abortion bill
Health committee declares private members bill ‘undesirable’, but MP Cheryllyn Dudley says the debate has now been started

06 September 2018
Tamar Kahn

Parliament has rejected the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) MP Cheryllyn Dudley’s private members bill on abortion, which critics have seen as a thinly veiled attempt to roll back women’s hard-won rights to safely terminate unwanted pregnancies.

Until the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act came into effect in 1997, abortions were only available in SA under extremely limited conditions. They required the approval of two doctors who were not involved in the matter, and in some cases a magistrate or psychiatrist as well.

Continued: https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/national/2018-09-06-parliament-rejects-acdps-abortion-bill/


South Africa – How the ACDP peddled unproven fact in its bid to tighten SA’s abortion laws

How the ACDP peddled unproven fact in its bid to tighten SA's abortion laws

05 Jun 2018
Africa Check, Gopolang Makou

The party cannot substantiate claims it made before Parliament in March, finds Africa Check.

In 2017, the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) proposed a Bill that proposed restricting access to safe abortions in the country by, for instance, outlawing abortions after 13 weeks based on socioeconomic grounds and procedures at 20 weeks in cases where, for instance, fetuses had severe deformities.

The legislation also would have added requirements, such as mandatory counselling and sonagram viewing, that ACDP MP Cheryllyn Dudley told Bhekisisa would promote informed consent. But some doctors alleged the new counselling criteria was nothing more than an attempt to manipulate women.

Continued: http://bhekisisa.org/article/2018-06-05-00-how-the-acdp-peddled-unproven-facts-in-its-bid-to-tighten-sas-abortion-laws


South Africa: Private-member bill set to revive abortion debate

Private-member bill set to revive abortion debate
Pregnancy termination amendment is intended to tighten conditions for allowing women to have abortions

08 December 2017
Tamar Kahn

The Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Amendment Bill has been tabled in Parliament, paving the way for an emotional debate on access to abortion when MPs return to their duties next year.

The draft legislation is a private-member’s bill introduced by African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) MP Cheryllyn Dudley, who previously tried to restrict women’s access to abortion by proposing an amendment to the Constitution to include the right to life of the unborn child.

Continued at source: https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/national/health/2017-12-08-private-member-bill-set-to-revive-abortion-debate/