The Australian Medical Association (AMA) announced the introduction of the Reproductive Health Care Reform Bill to decriminalise abortion in New South Wales (NSW).
AMA is encouraging the NSW Parliament to pass the bill as the retention of abortion in the Crimes Act is not appropriate for doctors or patients.
NSW is the last state in Australia to decriminalise abortion, which has placed women and doctors under a different and stigmatised legal arrangement to other states.
The bill is modelled on the recent Queensland legislation, reflecting the common law entitlements that currently exist, while removing the stigma and legal uncertainty associated with abortion being included in the Crimes Act.
