1 November 2005

01 November 2005

News,

Republicans have welcomed President Bush's decision to nominate Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. Described in The Times of London as 'intellectually brilliant', Judge Alito has 15 years' experience on the US Court of Appeals and a strong pro-life record. Opponents have attacked his stance on abortion, particularly his dissent in the striking down of a Pennsylvania law in 1991 that required a woman to inform her husband before seeking an abortion. [The Times, 1 November and The Telegraph, 1 November] US pro-life and pro-family groups such as Concerned Women for America and the National Clergy Council have expressed support for Judge Alito's nomination. [Lifenews.com, 31 October] A planned referendum on Portugal's abortion laws has been blocked by a court, on the grounds that the Portuguese parliament rejected a referendum earlier in the year. The ruling stated that a vote could not occur before September 2006. Jose Socrates, the Prime Minister, supports abortion and said: "We want a law which is more modern and more European." In Portugal, abortion is permitted up to 12 weeks on grounds such as rape, but there have been moves towards changing the law to allow abortion on demand up to 12 weeks and up to 24 weeks under certain circumstances. [Lifenews.com, 31 October] A bill to legalise euthanasia and assisted suicide was debated for the first time in the Canadian parliament yesterday. Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition stated: "Bill C-407 is a direct threat to the lives of the people with disabilities, people with chronic physical and mental pain and other vulnerable Canadians." [LifeSiteNews.com, 31 October]

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1 November 2005

01 November 2005

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