After a long campaign by reproductive rights advocates, abortion will finally be decriminalised in South Australia.

The Termination of Pregnancy Bill 2020 was passed by the South Australian upper house this afternoon and will remove many barriers to accessing abortion care in South Australia.

Human Rights Law Centre Associate Legal Director Monique Hurley said:

“Abortion will no longer be a criminal offence in South Australia. This is a massive win for reproductive rights, and the rights of all people to choose what happens to their own body. Access to a safe, legal abortion is a critical healthcare right.

“We are grateful to the countless people who have been fighting for this long overdue reform, which will see abortion finally treated as the healthcare matter it is. We pay particular tribute to the South Australian Abortion Action Coalition for their tireless advocacy efforts.”

The upper house was required to vote on the bill a second time after a small number of disappointing amendments were forced through in the lower house.

“This reform has been a long time coming and while it is disappointing that a handful of politicians held people’s health to ransom by forcing through some harmful and unnecessary amendments in the lower house, the decriminalisation of abortion in South Australia is a historic moment that we should all be proud of,” Hurley said.

Now Western Australia remains the only state in Australia that still uses the criminal law to regulate abortion, and without safe access zones to protect the safety and dignity of people accessing abortion services.

“It is time for the Parliament of Western Australia to follow in the footsteps of South Australia and bring their laws into line with every other jurisdiction in the country by removing all barriers to timely reproductive healthcare,” Hurley said.

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Evan Schuurman, Media and Communications Manager, 0406 117 937.