Heidi Crowter resolute in fight to end ‘downright discrimination in the womb’

Nov 30, 2022 by

from The Christian Institute:

Down’s syndrome campaigner Heidi Crowter has vowed to take her fight against disability-selective abortions to the Supreme Court.Last week, the Court of Appeal dismissed Heidi’s case — brought with fellow campaigner Máire Lea-Wilson — stating that the Abortion Act 1967 “does not interfere with the rights of the living disabled”.

Under current legislation, abortion is permitted up to 24 weeks for most reasons but is available up to birth for children deemed to have a disability – including Down’s syndrome.

Ruling

In 2020, Heidi and Máire were given permission to challenge the law that allows babies with Down’s syndrome to be aborted up to birth.

The High Court rejected the case in September last year, saying it was a matter for Parliament. But the right to appeal was granted in March.

At appeal, the campaigners argued that to permit the abortion of a child with Down’s syndrome, or other “serious handicaps”, particularly after 24 weeks, is contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights.

While the court recognised people with Down’s syndrome may see the law “as implying that their own lives are of lesser value”, it deemed such a perception did not by itself “give rise to an interference” with their human rights.

Read here

See also:

Woman with Down’s syndrome loses abortion law appeal, by Hayley Clarke, BBC News

Disability campaigners to take abortion law case to Supreme Court, from Christian Today: Campaigners for the equal treatment of people with Down’s syndrome are to take their challenge against a discriminatory abortion law to the Supreme Court after losing in the Court of Appeal.

Taking the knee for diversity – but not for Down syndrome, by Ann Farmer, MercatorNet:
In these enlightened times, the judges have decided that these babies have no rights at all.

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