Abortion Case

On 'late' abortion....

* While most people have no difficulty accepting the legality of abortion at early stages of

pregnancy, fewer are so sure about their position as pregnancy progresses - especially when

the fetus is perceived to be 'viable'. The most frequent kind of measure proposed to reform

abortion law of late has been to reduce the legal time limit.

* It is incorrect to assume that the need for late abortion could be removed by expanding access

to early abortion. Most abortions in the second trimester take place for reasons that could not

have been anticipated earlier in the pregnancy.

* In practice the law plays little role in preventing late abortions. There are few requests for

abortion in the later stages of pregnancy because women do not request them and doctors are

not prepared to perform them.

On abortion for fetal abnormality....

* Where in 1967, when abortion was made legal, fetal abnormality was construed a 'good'

reason for abortion, today the opposite seems the case. This kind of abortion is now

considered at best ethically difficult, at worst a manifestation of anti-disability views.

* Does abortion for abnormality encourage discrimination against disabled people? No it does

not, since it is possible to make a judgment or express an attitude towards a particular

condition, without in any way imputing an attitude towards the value of people who s

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