News

By Jenna Murphy

AUCKLAND, NZ, June 10, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) – This week, Justice Forrest Miller of New Zealand ruled that thousands of illegal abortions have been taking place in the country under the false pretext of mental illness.

Approximately 18,000 abortions are performed every year in New Zealand, 98.9% of which are carried out on the grounds of mental health concerns.

In court proceedings last April, Right to Life stated that the Abortion Supervisory Committee (ASC) was not consistent in their decisions to provide abortions and insisted on a judicial review of the committee’s practices.

“We’ve been concerned for some years now that the ASC hasn’t been fulfilling its statutory duty to hold certifying consultants accountable for the lawfulness of the abortions that they have been authorizing and performing,” says Ken Orr of Right to Life.

The Abortion Supervisory Committee is awaiting further litigation from the High Court Judge, Justice Miller, who stated that abortion consultants are applying the law “more liberally than parliament intended.”

Right to Life claims that the recent High Court decision is the most meaningful ruling for New Zealand’s pro-life movement in 30 years.