Dr Alex Allinson, who introduced the bill.
Importing the worst aspects of British abortion practice.
A bill which removes protections from unborn children and widens provision for abortion on the Isle of Man is set to be introduced into law.
Steve Rodan President of the Tynwald, the Island's Parliament, said the Abortion Reform Act had received Royal Assent, meaning that the UK's Ministry of Justice has given its approval.
The Abortion Reform Bill was introduced by Ramsey MHK Alex Allinson in a private members bill, and was passed late last year with unanimous support by members of the House of Keys.
What has changed?
The Isle of Man - a self-governing region of the British Isles - until now had a more restrictive abortion regime than the rest of the UK, not generally allowing abortion for "social" reasons. Now, however, the law is in many ways more extreme than in England Wales and Scotland.
A woman will now be able to request an abortion for any reason up to 14 weeks of pregnancy - the first time abortion on demand has formally been legalised in the UK. Abortion up to 24 weeks will be allowed under widely interpretable ‘health’ and ‘social’ grounds.
Introducing new abuses
The new law also worsens disability discrimination in the abortion law, introducing abortion for disability up to birth, and removing a requirement that two doctors consider whether their disability might be cured or relieved over time.
The extreme bill also fully legalises previously restricted barbaric late term abortion practices, such as causing the baby a fatal heart-attack through ‘feticide’, and tearing her apart using strong forceps through ‘Dilation and Evacuation’ (D&E). The requirement to protect and care for babies born alive during an abortion has also been removed.
Pro-lifers on the Isle of Man explain that "with the extreme Allinson Bill passed into law, we have imported the worst aspects of British abortion practice into our law, and actually introduce new abuses."
Sue Richardson, spokesperson for the HEAR campaign, said: "This is a dark and sad day for the Isle of Man, as we remove the sensible and civilised protections that existed in our own 1995 law, which while imperfect was light years ahead of the situation in the adjacent Island. We have further institutionalised injustice, inequality, and inhumanity into our laws, and the Island is a profoundly less gentle and special place as a consequence."
Stark warning
This legislation, in decriminalising abortion to 14 weeks, providing for buffer zones around abortion clinics, permitting barbaric violence on the unborn and dismissing concern for babies surviving abortion gives an insight into the ruthless nature of the pro-abortion movement. This cruel assault on babies and motherhood in the Isle of Man is a stark warning of the threats we face in the rest of the UK from the on-going abortion decriminalisation movement.
News in brief: