Treaty breach?

In an unprecedented attack on the sanctity of life of the unborn, the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, and the Minister of Justice propose that the killing of children before birth should not be a crime.

The minister proposes to amend the Crimes Act to remove women and their unborn from the protection of the Crimes Act. This act provides legal protection for women and unborn children against the violence of abortion. It also protects the right to life of the unborn, which has been in the Crimes Act since 1856.

Right to Life believes that the decriminalisation of abortion would be a breach of the Treaty of Waitangi.

Right to Life wrote to the Minister of Maori Development, the Hon Nanaia Mahuta, in June 2018, requesting that she refer our submission to the Waitangi Tribunal for a decision, but she refused to do this, stating it would be inappropriate.

The Minister of Justice proposes that there would be no statutory test until 22 weeks of pregnancy. After 22 weeks, the health practitioner intending to perform an abortion would need to be satisfied the abortion is appropriate in the