Minister for Equility Dª Bibiana Aído has announced the formation of a committee to advise upon the drawing up of a “completely new” law for abortion in Spain. It will be comprised mainly of experts from the fields of Gynaecology, Obstetrics and Penal Law, and is charged to be a “forwards thinking” as possible, taking into consideration the most progressive trends in international law.
The new law will be thought out for and charged with the legal, medical and ethical protection of both females and the doctors who have to tend to them, and will be “unalterable” and consistent across the whole of Spain. It is expected to be submitted to parliment towards the end of 2009 or the beginning of 2010.
The committee has such distinguished figures as Elena Arnedo, one of Spain’s premier gynaecologists, María Durán, director of corporate responsibility for the government of the Balearic Islands, and ex President of the Association of Women Jurista Themis. The committee is notable for the absence of any major religious figure (hurrah!).
Currently the only legal basis for abortion in Spain is rape (up to 12 weeks), foetal abnormities (up to 22 weeks) or grave risk to the physical or mental health of the mother (any time).
Expect to hear a lot about this law over the next year – those religious nutters will consider any attempt to reform this law to be an attack on the authority of the Vatican, bless them.