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Abortion law reform in Aotearoa New Zealand: In search of human rights, autonomy and empathy

At the end of October this year, the New Zealand Law Commission released a briefing paper: Alternative Approaches to Abortion Law. This paper provides three alternative legal models to existing abortion legislation, all of which recommend that abortion be repealed from the Crimes Act 1961 and the Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion Act 1977, and be treated as a health issue. Liz Beddoe is Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. Liz has been deeply and actively interested in the abortion debate for decades, and in this podcast with Deb Stanfield she shares her analysis of the briefing paper and explores problems with the current law – how it contravenes basic human rights for example, and creates unnecessary complexity for women seeking abortions. Dr Beddoe explains in plain language why social workers should care about this issue, what we should know, and how we can prepare ourselves for the coming months of debate.

Provided below are links to the articles referred to by Dr Beddoe in this podcast, and a link to the recent ANZASW press release which supports recommendations made by the Law Commission, prioritises the rights and needs of women, and advocates for the continuing role of social workers in the abortion care system.

https://www.newsroom.co.nz/@ideasroom/2018/10/26/291901/time-to-change-outdated-abortion-laws

https://www.newsroom.co.nz/@ideasroom/2018/10/30/297669/abortion-law-change-at-last-in-sight

https://womensrefuge.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Reproductive-Coercion-Report.pdf

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1811/S00079/anzasw-statement-on-abortion-law-reform.htm

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