Anti-abortion group to mount legal challenge

Anti-abortion campaigners have chosen a leading female QC to spearhead a legal challenge over plans to allow women to take medication to end pregnancies at home.

The Society of the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) said it had served the Scottish Government with papers calling for a judicial review of the decision on Friday and would be represented by Morag Ross QC at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.

Ms Ross has been involved in numerous high-profile human rights and civil liberties cases, as well as the legal challenge to minimum unit pricing for alcohol.

Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Catherine Calderwood, confirmed in October she had written to all Scottish health boards indicating the drug misoprostol could be taken by women outside a clinical setting, under plans using powers available within the Abortion Act 1967.

She said it was a mark of “significant progress” that women in Scotland up to nine weeks pregnant could take the second dose of the drug at home if they wanted.

The move has been described as “admirable” by Professor Lesley Regan, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

However, the SPUC sent Dr Calderwood a letter before Christmas threatening court action, arguing that the move is not consistent with the Act.

SPUC (Scotland) chief executive John Deighan said: “The Scottish Government has made its decision to continue with this policy.

“We believe this is an unlawful position.

“Therefore, we have been left with no option but to proceed to challenge it through the courts.”

Morag Ross QC.