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High Court to Proceed with Trial on Antigua and Barbuda’s Abortion Laws
The High Court has further delayed proceedings in the constitutional challenge to Antigua and Barbuda’s abortion legislation, as stakeholders await a pending appeals court decision expected later this month.
The case, which questions the constitutionality of the country’s 163-year-old Offences Against the Person Act, has drawn significant attention since the government’s appeal of an October ruling.
In that decision, Justice Jan Drysdale dismissed the government’s attempt to strike out the case and ordered the Attorney General’s Chambers to pay $1,500 to abortion rights activists.
The current legislation maintains strict restrictions on reproductive healthcare, imposing severe penalties including up to ten years’ imprisonment for women who terminate pregnancies and two years for those providing assistance.
The law permits abortion only in cases where the mother’s life is at risk.
During last year’s proceedings, Attorney David Dorsett, representing the Attorney General, introduced a legal argument suggesting that the Sexual Offences Act of 1995 had effectively repealed the challenged sections.
However, Justice Drysdale determined that such matters of repeal require constitutional interpretation and warrant full consideration due to their significant public interest implications.
The activist group pursuing this legal challenge seeks to have the existing legislation declared unconstitutional, a ruling that could fundamentally alter the reproductive rights landscape in Antigua and Barbuda.
Mr. Editor,
THIS matter (Termination of Pregnancies) NEEDS Much Discussion Among The Relevant Cross-Section of the Antiguan/Barbudan Society …..
Unfortunately, it seems that ONLY Male Voices are being heard, repeatedly. It’s Time Enough that Women’s Voices enter these Discussions And Decision-Making on THIS Issue: Termination of Pregnancies for Whatever Reasons are being Put Forward.
I am yet to hear the Views of FEMALE Pastors in the Mix …. Some Male Pastors are Far Removed from the EXPERIENTIAL aspect of THIS Very Important Issue — Reproduction. While Others seem Very Caught Up with AUTHORITARIAN Attitudes in Speech which seem to declare that Women in general (and the Specific Woman concerned) have NO SAY in THIS MATTER ……. Please give me a Break Here!!!
I personally NEED to hear the Voices of FEMALE Pastors in Antigua/Barbuda on THIS Issue ….. Enough with the Male Voices that are Repeatedly Heard!!!
Personally, I think THIS Issue is Between the Woman and God — The GIVER of Life ……. Some Men may Not even be able to Envision what Women go through during THIS Area (and even Other areas of the Female Experience) of Life.
……. Both Male and Females in Our Society MUST be facilitated TOGETHER with Opportunities for Knowledge of and Discussion on Reproductive Health of Both Males and Females. Of course at School Age it is most appropriate to Teach and Discuss Reproductive Health in Separate Groupings of Boys and Girls …. However at the Senior Levels (Classes Forms 4 – 6) it would be WISE to Address This Topic With A Mixed Class of Young Men and Young Women ….
There is so much MORE that could be said on THIS Matter: Our Learning about Male and Female Reproductive Health! In THIS Education Space there is A Great Need for The Reading and Discussion of “Real Life” Case Studies Appropriate to “Age Groupings” in Schools And at Adult Gatherings in the Curriculum to be covered.
I am asking for SOME RESPONSES (from Males and Females) to What I am Proposing HERE!!
There is A Saying with which We are ALL Familiar: “Silence is Golden.” I dare to say: “Not in THIS Case” …. The MORE We (Males and Females) sit TOGETHER in the Learning About and Discussing Issues related to Male and Female Reproductive Health, And Matters/Situations related to Reproductive Health….. the Better will be Our Understanding of Self and The Other. THIS will in Time lead to more Respect For, Empathy, Tolerance and Love of Self And Our Partners in Building Relationships which Facilitate Growth and Life.
Looking Forward to Many contributions to some of The Ideas put forward in my response to The Editor of This Newspaper News Report ….