Scotland – Anti-abortion campaign back in court over home terminations

Anti-abortion campaign back in court over home terminations
The group has appealed against a ruling rejecting their legal challenge to the Scottish Government allowing at home abortions.

Dec 17, 2018

A campaign group which lost its legal challenge over the Scottish Government’s move to allow pregnant women to take abortion pills at home will return to court for an appeal hearing.

The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) argued the decision by ministers to enable women to drug misoprostol to induce abortion at home, was “unlawful” and a threat to women’s health.

Continued: https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/uk-news/2018/12/17/anti-abortion-campaign-back-in-court-over-home-terminations/


Ireland – Liam Weeks: ‘Abortion: the issue that never goes away’

Liam Weeks: 'Abortion: the issue that never goes away'
New disagreements suggest the referendum has made abortion more political than ever

Liam Weeks
December 9 2018

After six referendums and 35 years of debate, there was a sentiment, or at least an expectation, that the abortion issue had finally been put to bed last May.

But, as the events surrounding Minister Simon Harris's plans to legislate for the referendum result have shown, abortion remains a live political issue.

Continued: https://www.independent.ie/opinion/comment/liam-weeks-abortion-the-issue-that-never-goes-away-37607855.html


Use of second abortion pill at home to be allowed in England

Use of second abortion pill at home to be allowed in England
Government says home use of misoprostol will be legalised by end of 2018

Haroon Siddique
Sat 25 Aug 2018

Women in England are to be allowed to take the second abortion pill at home, giving them the same rights as their counterparts in Scotland and Wales.

The UK government announced on Saturday that it would legalise the home use of early medical abortion drugs by the end of the year. It comes after pressure from campaigners for England to follow in the footsteps of Scotland, which last year became the first part of the UK to introduce the option, and Wales, which announced its own plans in June.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/25/use-of-second-abortion-pill-at-home-to-be-allowed-in-england


Scottish women retain right to take abortion pills at home

Scottish women retain right to take abortion pills at home
Anti-abortion challenge fails as Westminster urged to follow Holyrood’s example

Libby Brooks, Scotland correspondent
Wed 15 Aug 2018

The Scottish government’s decision to allow women to take the abortion pill in their own homes has been upheld following a legal challenge by the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) Scotland.

Doctors welcomed the ruling by the court of session in Edinburgh as “a very significant step forward”, after the anti-abortion campaign group argued that the licensing of the drug misoprostol for home use was “unlawful” and a threat to women’s health and that of their unborn babies.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/15/scottish-women-retain-right-to-take-abortion-pills-at-home


Protest against the ‘home abortion’ pill in Scotland is about judging women, not ensuring their safety

Protest against the ‘home abortion’ pill in Scotland is about judging women, not ensuring their safety

February 28, 2018
Carrie Purcell

In October 2017, Scotland became the only part of the UK where women are given the choice to take abortion medication at home.

The decision by the Scottish government means women seeking “early abortion” in the first nine weeks of pregnancy can take the second of two necessary medications at home, rather than in an NHS outpatient clinic. Mifepristone and misoprostol have to be taken one to two days apart which, until now, saw women attending the clinic for two separate appointments.

Continued: https://theconversation.com/protest-against-the-home-abortion-pill-in-scotland-is-about-judging-women-not-ensuring-their-safety-91416


Scottish Labour MSP withdraws invitation to US academic

Scottish Labour MSP withdraws invitation to US academic
Prof Priscilla Coleman authored highly criticised study into link between abortion and anxiety

Libby Brooks
Fri 23 Feb 2018

A Scottish Labour MSP has withdrawn her invitation to speak at the Holyrood parliament from an academic who has linked abortion to mental health issues after fellow MSPs raised concerns about the event.

Elaine Smith, Scottish Labour’s spokesperson on poverty and inequality, invited colleagues to a meeting titled Abortion in Scotland: a solution or a problem? at which US professor Priscilla Coleman had been asked to speak. Coleman was the author of study that looked at the link between abortion and anxiety, mood and substance abuse disorders, which has been heavily criticised.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/23/scottish-labour-msp-withdraws-invitation-priscilla-coleman-abortion


Scotland: Abortion pill is safe — and helping rates fall

Abortion pill is safe — and helping rates fall
Allowing women to take misoprostol at home is compassionate and humane

Gillian Bowditch
February 4 2018, The Sunday Times

As I write this, I am waiting to hear if the operation a close relative is due to undergo next week will take place as scheduled. He’s been waiting for treatment since last summer.

The procedure has been cancelled twice this year despite the health board in question instigating a three-week planned stoppage of non-urgent operations over Christmas, ostensibly to prevent the need for further cancellations.

Continued: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/scotland/abortion-pill-is-safe-and-helping-rates-fall-cf5gf2962


Scotland: Anti-abortion campaigners challenge medication plans

Anti-abortion campaigners challenge medication plans

Anti-abortion campaigners are launching a legal challenge against Scotland’s top doctor over plans to allow women to take medication to end pregnancies at home.

by Press Association
07/01/2018

John Deighan, chief executive of the Society of the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) said it has instructed a legal team to prepare court papers calling for a judicial review of the decision.

Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Catherine Calderwood, confirmed in October she had written to all Scottish health boards indicating the drug misoprostol could be taken by women outside a clinical setting, under plans using powers available within the Abortion Act 1967.

continued at source: https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/news/scotland/anti-abortion-campaigners-challenge-medication-plans/


Abortion campaigners urge Scottish Government to ‘strongly fight’ legal challenge to at-home terminations

Abortion campaigners urge Scottish Government to 'strongly fight' legal challenge to at-home terminations
Helen McArdle, Health Correspondent
Dec 21, 2017

ALLOWING women to take the abortion pill at home is “perfectly safe” and would bring an end to the “horrendous experience” of women haemorrhaging as they travel home from clinics, campaigners have said.

In a letter in today’s Herald, a number of pro-choice groups, trade unions and politicians hit back at a legal challenge mounted against the Scottish Government’s plan to enable women up to nine weeks pregnant to take the drug misoprostol at home, and urged ministers to “strongly fight” the legal action.

Continued at source: http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/health/15787609.Campaigners_urge_ministers_to__strongly_fight__abortion_pill_legal_challenge/


Scotland’s top doctor given three weeks to stop allowing abortion pills at home or face legal action

Scotland's top doctor given three weeks to stop allowing abortion pills at home or face legal action

Simon Johnson, Scottish Political Editor
18 December 2017

Scotland’s most senior doctor has been given three weeks to stop allowing women to take the abortion pill at home or face legal action.

Lawyers acting for the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) Scotland have written to Dr Catherine Calderwood, the country’s chief medical officer, with the ultimatum and given her until January 5 to comply.

Continued at source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/18/scotlands-top-doctor-given-three-weeks-stop-allowing-abortion/