June 18, 2021
There should be more publicity about the availability of abortion services on the Isle of Man, a Tynwald scrutiny committee has said.
The Social Affairs Policy Review Committee said there was a lack of material at doctors' surgeries.
Continued: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-57530646
Manx abortion reforms to be introduced after new law receives Royal Assent
15 January 2019
Women on the Isle of Man will soon be able to request an abortion within the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.
Tynwald President Steve Rodan said the Abortion Reform Act had received Royal Assent, meaning that the UK's Ministry of Justice has given its approval.
The Manx government is yet to announce when the new law, proposed by Ramsey MHK Alex Allinson, will be introduced.
Continued: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-46879046
Isle of Man becomes first place in British Isles to decriminalise abortion
Telegraph Reporters
15 January 2019
The Isle of Man has become the first place in the British Isles to decriminalise abortion.
The new law will allow abortion for any reason up to 14 weeks and in certain circumstances between 15 and 23 weeks. From 24 weeks until birth, abortion will be permitted when pregnancy would cause risk to the mother's life or if the baby when born would suffer serious impairment or die shortly after birth.
New Isle of Man abortion law moves a step closer
7 November 2018
Decriminalising abortion on the Isle of Man has moved a step closer after reforms were given unanimous backing by Tynwald members.
The Abortion Reform Bill will make it legal for women to have a termination on request within the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.
Continued: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-46112880
Abortion Reform Bill 2018 passed unanimously by the House of Keys today with three minor amendments
30 October 2018
For immediate release
CALM [Campaign for Abortion Law Modernisation] is delighted that the House of Keys has voted to pass Dr Alex Allinson MHK’s Abortion Reform Bill 2018, and that once the three new amendments agreed today are passed by the Legislative Council, it will now be set before the Court of Tynwald for signing.
Today’s sitting (Tuesday 30 October) confirmed that the Isle of Man’s politicians agree that the current legislation is out of date, restrictive and discriminatory and that the Island’s women deserve better.
“CALM is proud that the Isle of Man is leading the way, and will be the first jurisdiction in the British Isles to decriminalise abortion, meaning that those who choose to terminate a pregnancy for whatever reason will no longer be seen as criminals. They will also be able to choose to access full reproductive healthcare at home, and no longer have to travel to clinics across,” says CALM.
Buffer zones around places which provide abortion services will also be possible once this Bill is enacted.
“The public consultation in 2017 showed that the vast majority of respondents wanted some provision for buffer or access zones, and our politicians listened,” continues CALM. “Provisions in this Bill mean that people seeking abortions, or even those wanting to access counselling, will not be subjected to pressure from those who only want to frighten women or make them uncomfortable about any decision they’ve made, or
which they might make.”
Following today’s House of Key’s sitting, CALM would like to thank all those who have worked tirelessly on the Abortion Reform Bill, particular Dr Allinson MHK, seconder Clare Bettison MHK, Ralph Peake MHK for adding the provision of access zones to the original draft, the Attorney General, the legal drafters and all those MHKs and MLCs who have tabled amendments which have made the final Bill better for all those who believe that women in theIsle of Man should be able to access safe, legal and most of all LOCAL abortion services.
"We'd also like to thank everyone who has supported our campaign, all those who wrote to the prospective MHKs before the last election and since, and those who've told their own stories publically for the first time," says CALM. "We know that women who've had abortions, for whatever reason, have been stigmatised and ignored for too long, and we're proud that our campaign has helped to make this a thing of the past."
CALM: http://calmiom.org/
Meet the activist who’s helped thousands of Irish women access safe abortions
Posted by Moya Crockett
Published Sep 10, 2018
Woman of the Week is Stylist’s weekly celebration of women who are making a difference to society. This week, we meet Mara Clarke, the founder of the Abortion Support Network, to discuss how things have changed since Ireland’s abortion referendum.
Mara Clarke was in Dublin when the results of the Irish abortion referendum were announced. The founder of the Abortion Support Network (ASN) – a grassroots organisation that provides women with advice and financial aid so that they can access safe terminations – desperately hoped abortion would be decriminalised in Ireland. But she didn’t really think it would happen.
“When the exit polls came out, I didn’t believe it,” she says today. “Even when the results were officially announced, I still didn’t believe it. But then everything went crazy.”
Criminalised abortion in UK obstructs reflective choice and best care
BMJ 2018; 362 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k2928
Published 09 July 2018
Sandy Goldbeck-Wood, Abigail Aiken, David Horwell, Oskari Heikinheimo, Ganesh Acharya, editorial board of BMJ Sexual and Reproductive Health
Theresa May could seize this opportunity for evidence based reform
The recent decisions to liberalise abortion laws in the Republic of Ireland and the Isle of Man1 have put pressure on the British prime minister, Theresa May, to consider decriminalising abortion in the UK. Although she believes “that a woman should be able to access safe, legal abortion,”2 she has not yet acted to initiate amendment of the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act—perhaps in fear of Northern Ireland's anti-abortion Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), on which her minority government depends.
Continued: https://www.bmj.com/content/362/bmj.k2928
Dignity clause incorporated into Abortion Reform Bill
Friday, 6 July 2018 - Politics
A late alteration to the Abortion Reform Bill was added last week, to ensure any remains are treated with dignity.
Legislative Council last week approved the bill. Numerous, mainly technical, amendments were approved, while attempts by Bishop Peter Eagles to impose new restrictions were unsuccessful.
LegCo approves Abortion Reform Bill
Tuesday, 26 June 2018
The Abortion Reform Bill has been approved fully by the Legislative Council.
This morning, MLCs dealt with all of its clauses - including 71 proposed amendments - and then suspended rules so that they could take the third and final reading at the same sitting. At that point, the historic vote to approve wide-reaching change was 8-1 in favour, with only Bishop Peter Eagles voting against.
The bill will still need to go back to the House of Keys for final approval, however.
Bishop's witnesses begin their evidence in abortion debate
Tuesday, 12 June 2018
Witnesses called by Bishop Peter Eagles to support his arguments against aspects of the Abortion Reform Bill began their evidence this morning.
The Bishop, who is also set to table a series of amendments to the Abortion Reform Bill at the clauses stage, warned that unless he could be persuaded otherwise, he would vote against the second reading of the bill.
He called three witnesses to go before the Legislative Council today.
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