Scottish Catholic Observer

Pro-life campaigners have reacted with dismay at the move, and the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) Scotland has announced it is launching a petition against decriminalisation of abortion in Scotland.

The motion, by the body that represent doctors from across the UK, passed with a two-thirds majority at the BMA’s annual representative meeting in Bournemouth on Tuesday July 27.

In the run-up, around 1,500 doctors rebelled against the motion, signing a letter denouncing it as ‘extreme’ and warning it puts the BMA’s reputation at risk.

“If these measures were to be implemented, it would mean the introduction of abortion for any reason, to at least 28 weeks and possibly up to birth,” the letter said. “As doctors and medical students we strongly urge the British Medical Association to reject this extreme motion.”

The letter added that the motion ‘does not reflect the moderate and reasonable views of the majority of British women and the general public on this issue, and would severely damage the reputation of both the BMA and the medical profession.’

A ComRes poll in May found only one per cent of women would support a move to extend the abortion time limit above 24 weeks.

The director of the Catholic Parliamentary Office has encouraged Catholics who are part of the British Medical Association to publicly reject the decriminalisation of abortion and sign the SPUC petition.

Anthony Horan noted that the BMA’s support of decriminalisation could lead to ‘sex-selective abortions, mail-order abortions and the distribution of abortion pills on school premises.’

He also highlighted the ComRes poll saying the BMA move ‘would be in stark contrast to the views of the public.’

John Deighan, CEO of SPUC Scotland said: “The BMA has joined a growing number of organisations working together to propose the most radical abortion policy. By adopting this policy, the BMA has betrayed all who take seriously healthcare for pregnant woman as well as a fundamental principle of the medical profession to do no harm,

“Abortion has had a seriously detrimental effect on the consciences of medical staff involved in the ghastly practise. This is a wake-up call for the rest of society as to how bad the loss of a moral compass has become in some medical circles.”

At present abortion is a criminal offence but it can be carried out under exceptions to the law. Earlier this year a bill was brought forward at Westminster that would have decriminalised abortion to 24 weeks but it ran out of parliamentary time due to the General Election.

Similar attempts to decriminalise abortion in Scotland are expected and SPUC Scotland is launching an initiative to galvanise grassroots support against what Mr Deighan called ‘this terrible path being carved out by a tiny minority of extremists in influential positions.’

“The SPUC petition will be made available across Scotland and online,” he said. “The human heart recognises the inherent good of human life and we will not allow a small group, whether they be in the BMA, Royal College of Midwives or parliament to obscure this and threaten the lives of even more innocent children in the womb.”