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WELLINGTON, New Zealand, October 21, 2015 (LifeSiteNews) – New Zealand Family Planning can continue to provide early medical abortions at its Tauranga clinic despite the fact that the license wording is unlawful, the High Court has decided.

The decision came after Right to Life challenged the legality of the license for Tauranga Family Planning. They argued that there is no allowance in the law for a license to be given for up to 9 weeks of pregnancy, nor could one be obtained for medical abortions only.

Despite the unlawful wording, Justice Joe Williams found that the license remained valid, saying that the illegal wording could promptly be changed.

Ken Orr, spokesperson for Right to Life, told LifeSiteNews, “the consequence of this judgment is that Family Planning can now proceed to apply for an abortion licence for every one of its 30 clinics.”

The license, a first for Family Planning, was granted by the Abortion Supervisory Committee (ASC) in 2013. It was renewed, with new wording, in 2014 and again in 2015.

The ASC has the power to grant licenses to facilities that wish to carry out abortions; they also have the duty to ensure that all abortions are carried out in accordance with the Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion Act 1977. 

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In 2009, the Family Planning Association applied for abortion licenses for all 30 of its clinics. The application was withdrawn after pro-life groups banded together in opposition.

The organisation, which is an affiliate of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, has clinics situated throughout New Zealand, often very close to High Schools. 

In 2013, Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood was a keynote speaker at the Family Planning conference. Her address was entitled “Building a sexual and reproductive health movement”.  Pro-life groups expressed concern at the time that Family Planning wanted to emulate the Planned Parenthood model, becoming more involved in actually providing abortions.

Early Medical Abortion is being promoted in New Zealand as the safest way to cause a “miscarriage.” The potential complications, such as infection and haemorrhage, are played down significantly by abortion advocates, including Family Planning.

Despite a steady decrease in overall reported abortions, since 2012 there has been a 72% increase in the number of medical abortions (this increase is all medical abortions, not just those carried out before 9 weeks).