To reform, is to alter something, therefore law reforms are implemented to perfect an existing laws faults. The main reasons for laws to be reformed are the failure of existing laws, the changing concepts of justice such as the common view of the people and new technology. In 2008, the law regarding the legality of abortions was reformed from the previous legislation in 1958.
The law for abortions differs in each state of Australia; however it is not completely illegal in any state, due to the law reform that took place in 2008. This reform altered the crimes act 1958’s stance on the legality of abortions and the appropriate punishments. The new act would make it legal to have an abortion permitted that it is under the correct circumstances, and abides by the laws of the state in which the individual takes residence. One such example occurs in New South Wales; in this state abortions are only legal if the woman has sought medical approval, and they have found that she is of sound mind, and is physically and emotionally stable. Whereas, the previous Crimes Act of 1958 stated that it was a criminal offence to ‘bring about, or to attempt to bring about, or to assist a person to bring about, an unlawful termination of pregnancy. The circumstance in which termination of pregnancy is lawful has been left to judicial determination.’
However, abortions are still a controversial topic; today there are groups who are either ‘pro-life’ or ‘pro-choice’. Individuals that are ‘pro-life’ believe that the option to terminate a pregnancy should be the free choice of the woman and her doctor. They emphasise that there are vast differences between a foetus and a pregnant woman, and that the woman’s rights should far out way that of the foetus. On the other hand, ‘pro-life’ supporters argue that from the moment of conception the foetus is a human life, and that to terminate the pregnancy would be considered murder.
The laws regarding abortion from the Crimes Act of 1958,...