Paula Penfold
September 6, 2026
An NZ First candidate says New Zealand permits babies to be “killed right up to the day of birth” and left to die in hospital sluice rooms. Paula Penfold checks her claims against the law, official data and medical practice.
Last week, NZ First candidate for Selwyn, Elizabeth Mundt, posted on Facebook about a topic that had been “haunting” her for years. What will NZ First do about the “full-term abortion bill”?
By Irra Lee, 1News Digital Producer
Wed, Mar 16, 2022
“Safe zones” can now be established around specific abortion facilities, restricting protest behaviour in those areas, after a proposed law passed its third reading in Parliament on Wednesday evening.
The bill passed with 108 votes in favour and 12 against. For Labour, 62 voted in favour and three (Anahila Kanongata’a-Suisuiki, Neru Leavasa, Jamie Strange) against.
29 July 2020
Eleisha Foon
Pro-life groups and some National MPs believe the new abortion law is so ill-defined it allows women to end pregnancies right up to birth.
The emotive subject is back in the spotlight after National MP Harete Hipango published a Facebook post accusing the prime minister of supporting abortion up to full-term.
Editorial | Whither abortion reform?
Jamaica Gleaner
Monday | March 23, 2020
IT IS not clear whether Parliament’s Human Resources and Social Development Committee, which hasn’t had a sitting in recent months, has concluded its hearings on reforming the abortion law and, if it has, what it has recommended to legislators. Its chairman, Ronald Thwaites, will shed light on the matter, as well as informing the public how the committee intends to proceed.
Perchance they are not yet done deliberating, it is this newspaper’s hope that the committee will be inspired by last week’s developments on the matter in New Zealand, which finds its way in their report, and embraced by Jamaica’s legislators.
Continued: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/commentary/20200323/editorial-whither-abortion-reform
This week we brought New Zealand's abortion laws into the 21st century
Seeking an abortion was a crime until now, but new legislation has removed the stigma and given women a choice
Andrew Little
Thu 19 Mar 2020
New Zealand’s current abortion laws are more than 40 years old and were enacted when there were more MPs in Parliament named Bill than MPs who were female. This week we brought the laws into the 21st century.
Up to now, women seeking an abortion in New Zealand were committing a crime under our main criminal statute but had a defence if they followed the requirements of the abortion legislation. These requirements included the woman being referred by their doctor to two specialists who each had to certify she faces a serious danger to her life or physical or mental health. Other conditions also applied, such as whether the pregnancy was a result of incest or the woman lacked capacity to consent. For abortions after 20 weeks, conditions were more stringent.
Parliament removes abortion from Crimes Act
18 March 2020
Hon Andrew Little
Abortion has been removed from the Crimes Act under a new law passed by Parliament today.
“For over forty years abortion has been the only medical procedure considered a crime in New Zealand. But from now abortions will be rightly treated as a health issue,” Minister of Justice Andrew Little said.
Continued: https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/parliament-removes-abortion-crimes-act
New Zealand passes landmark law to decriminalise abortion
Campaigners hail move that will reclassify abortion as a health issue rather than a crime
Eleanor Ainge Roy
Wed 18 Mar 2020
New Zealand has passed a landmark bill to decriminalise abortion after decades of campaigning.
Andrew Little, the justice minister, said it was long overdue that the procedure would become classified as a health matter and not a criminal one.
The issue was scheduled to be put to a public referendum, but the government scrapped that option late on Wednesday.
Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/18/new-zealand-passes-landmark-law-decriminalise-abortion
New Zealand passes landmark law to decriminalize abortion
By Nick Perry, The Associated Press
Wed., March 18, 2020
WELLINGTON, New Zealand - Margaret Sparrow was 21 years old when she drank a concoction to induce an abortion, at a time when the procedure was both illegal and socially unacceptable in New Zealand.
Now age 84, Sparrow was delighted Wednesday when lawmakers passed a landmark bill that treats the procedure as a health issue rather than a crime.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said Sparrow, a doctor who has spent her life advocating for the reproductive rights of women.
New Zealand Eases Abortion Restrictions
By Richard Pérez-Peña
Published March 18, 2020
Lawmakers voted on Wednesday to liberalize New Zealand’s abortion law and allow unrestricted access during the first half of pregnancy, ending the country’s status as one of the few wealthy nations to limit the grounds for abortion during that period.
Members of Parliament also greatly loosened restrictions on abortions in the latter half of pregnancy, with language that opponents say amounts to no meaningful limitations until the moment of birth.
Continued: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/world/australia/new-zealand-abortion.html
Abortion reformists fuming after MPs scrap creation of 'safe zones' around clinics
Mar 11, 2020
Anna Bracewell-Worrall
Abortion reformists are fuming after politicians scrapped the creation of 'safe zones' outside abortion facilities because MPs were seemingly asleep at the wheel during the vote.
An element of the new abortion law would have allowed hospitals and clinics to apply for 'safe zones', where protesters couldn't interfere or interrupt patients or staff.
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