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Next Wednesday 9 December, SPUC supporters will be holding a vigil outside the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France between 9am and 12 noon. Anyone who wishes to join the vigil should be near the main entrance of the court by 9am. The vigil is being held as the court considers the A, B and C v Ireland case. A decision by the court could result in all member-states of the Council of Europe being forced to review their laws. The effect could be similar to the Roe v Wade judgment in America, which struck down all restrictive laws on abortion in the United States by recognising a right to abortion. [John Smeaton, 2 December] http://is.gd/5aquW

The Belfast high court has ruled in favour of SPUC's challenge of government abortion guidance in Northern Ireland. SPUC argued that because abortion remains illegal in Northern Ireland, it was wrong to expect medical providers to give non-directive counselling to women who might be considering abortion. SPUC also argued that the government's guidance was wrong regarding non-participation in abortion (conscientious objection). The judge ruled in favour of SPUC on these points. The judge awarded costs against the Northern Ireland Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. Liam Gibson of SPUC Northern Ireland commented: "We hope that the department will now take seriously many of the concerns which were largely disregarded when the guidelines were being drafted." [SPUC, 30 November] http://is.gd/57HCL

SPUC has launched a campaign against compulsory sex education. The government's Children, Schools and Families bill would make sex education compulsory in all state schools, including faith schools, from ages 5-16. The move is part of the government's anti-life sexual health agenda. SPUC is calling upon concerned people to respond to its campaign alert of 25 November http://is.gd/5bbpb

Other stories:

Abortion

• Pro-life journalists attacked at abortion rally in Vienna [LifeSiteNews.com, 1 December] http://is.gd/5b2V7
• Argentine legislature passes bill to limit sale of drug used for abortions [LifeSiteNews.com, 1 December] http://is.gd/5b18d
• Brazilian doctor accused in almost 10,000 abortions found dead [Irish Sun, 1 December] http://is.gd/5b3vY
• Illegal abortion pills allegedly sold in Soweto, South Africa [ZimDiaspora, 1 December] http://is.gd/5b3jh
• In South Korea, abortion foes gain ground [LA Times, 29 November] http://is.gd/5b45g
• Spanish bishops threaten to withhold Holy Communion from pro-abortion politicians [John Smeaton, 28 November] http://is.gd/5bbHu
• Monsignor Philip J. Reilly, founder of the Helpers of God's Precious Infants, will visit England 4-5 December [John Smeaton, 24 November] http://is.gd/5bbhH

Population

• International Christian health group defends affiliation with anti-life UN Population Fund [LifeSiteNews.com, 2 December] http://is.gd/5b08y

Sexual health; teenage pregnancies

• Czech government expresses regret over illegal sterilisation of Roma women [BBC, 24 November] http://is.gd/5b3qw

Euthanasia and assisted suicide; disability

• Former Dutch health minister admits error of legalizing euthanasia [LifeSiteNews.com, 2 December] http://is.gd/5b0qX
• Early Day Motion (EDM) against assisted suicide tabled in UK parliament [UK Parliament, 1 December] http://is.gd/5b14q
• Jewish representative condemns Swiss suicide director for wartime analogy [Guardian, 27 November] http://is.gd/5b4q2
• Man who assisted wife's suicide calls for law change [Yorkshire Post, 27 November] http://is.gd/5b4P6
• French national assembly rejects euthanasia bill by wide margin [LifeSiteNews.com, 27 November] http://is.gd/5b4W0
• Drive starts to make Dutch psychiatrists justify not killing suicidal patients [Wesley J. Smith, 27 November] http://is.gd/5b53i
• Pro-life response to Irish Law Reform Commission re advance directives [Pat Buckley, 25 November] http://is.gd/5b5H8

Marriage and family; sexual ethics

• New York state senate votes against same-sex marriage [LifeSiteNews.com, 2 December] http://is.gd/5b0Pa
• Argentine judge stops nation's first same-sex marriage [LifeSiteNews.com, 1 December] http://is.gd/5b2Za
• Tory party will give equal tax benefits to married and same-sex couples [LifeSiteNews.com, 1 December] http://is.gd/5b38C
• 3,000 Slovene Christians protest against same-sex marriage [LifeSiteNews.com, 1 December] http://is.gd/5b3dy

General and miscellaneous

• Pro-lifer wins leadership of Australian opposition [LifeSiteNews.com, 2 December] http://is.gd/5b2RD
• Obama establishes new bioethics commission [LifeSiteNews.com, 2 December] http://is.gd/5b0bg
• 50,000 march for life in Costa Rica capital [LifeSiteNews.com, 2 December] http://is.gd/5b0Uk
• Deacon rejects Cherie Blair over her anti-life/anti-family dissent [John Smeaton, 28 November] http://is.gd/5bbw4

To subscribe to SPUC's email information services, please visit www.spuc.org.uk/em-signup. The reliability of the news herein is dependent on that of the cited sources, which are paraphrased rather than quoted. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the society. © Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, 2018