New Zealand's government on Monday unveiled a draft bill that would decriminalize abortion and treat it as a health issue, Deutsche Welle reports.
The proposed legislation aims to modernize laws that have been in place since 1977. Although abortions are available in New Zealand, the procedure is an offense under the Crimes Act and can only be carried out if two doctors can certify that the pregnancy endangers the mother's physical or mental health.
The proposed changes would remove this requirement for women who are less than 20 weeks pregnant, but women who are further along in their pregnancies will still need a health practitioner's approval.
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Justice Minister Andrew Little said removing abortion from the Crimes Act would bring New Zealand in line with many other developed countries.
"Abortion is the only medical procedure that is still a crime in New Zealand. It's time for this to change," Little said in a statement.
"Safe abortion should be treated and regulated as a health issue — a woman has the right to choose what happens to her body."
The proposed bill would also ban anti-abortion activists from campaigning near abortion clinics.