Andy Drozdziak
Lord Alton has joined pro-life groups in condemning France’s decision to include the right to abortion in its constitution as a ‘huge step in the wrong direction.’
Lord Alton told the Universe: “The enshrining of abortion as a constitutional right in France is a huge step in the wrong direction.
“The French Parliament has bought into the lie that the interests of mothers and their own babies are in conflict with one another, that each competes in a false ‘zero-sum game’ that can only be ‘won’ at the expense of the other. This is a deeply sad and ultimately false view, which this constitutional change reinforces”.
Daniel Frampton, SPUC’s Editorial Officer, warned that the move would impact future generations.
“By shutting down pro-life voices of the future, French politicians diminish their own democracy, and they will no doubt be viewed unkindly by future generations whose opinions on abortion have been discounted,” he said.
However, Daniel Frampton pointed to the move as revealing a ‘profound insecurity’ in the light of the reversal of Roe v. Wade in the United States in June 2022
He said: “While it is disappointing that France has made abortion a constitutional right, it should be considered in the broader context of the reversal of Roe v. Wade in the United States, a great victory that shook anti-life politicians out of their complacency. As the pro-life movement in America has shown, this is not the end.”
Catherine Robinson from Right to Life UK also believes that the move is ‘largely symbolic’ and will not affect France’s current law which has a 14-week time limit on abortion.
However, she warned of the reality of the dangers posed in the UK. Dame Diana Johnson is currently proposing an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill which aims to exempt women who terminate their own pregnancies from being prosecuted by law.
Catherine Robinson told the Universe: “This extreme change to the law, proposed by Diana Johnson MP, would remove current offences that prevent women from performing their own abortions throughout all nine months of pregnancy. This would allow healthy babies to be aborted for any reason, including sex-selective purposes, right up to and during birth”.