Wellington, New Zealand, Aug 6, 2019 / 23:46 pm
The government of New Zealand proposed a bill this week that would lift a law stipulating that abortions before 20 weeks may only be performed for medical reasons.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the bill on Monday. It will be introduced to the New Zealand Parliament on August 8 for a preliminary vote.
Currently, a woman seeking an abortion must have two doctors' referrals stating that the pregnancy poses a danger to her physical or mental health.
If the bill passed, women would be able to undergo abortions up to 20 weeks into pregnancy without a doctor's referral or medical reason. After 20 weeks, they would need a doctor to assess that the pregnancy poses a threat to their physical or mental health.