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cases, the Act empowers the local authority to recover other charges
having due regard to the means of the recipient. No distinction is
drawn between the married and the unmarried.
The Abortion Act, 1967
Passed on 27th October, 1967, this Act becomes operative on
27th April, 1968.
Briefly, in accordance with this Act, no offence under the law
will be committed if a termination of pregnancy is carried out by
a registered medical practitioner in a National Health Service hospital
or other approved place and provided that two registered
medical practitioners, in good faith, are of the opinion that such
termination is justifiable on one or other of the following grounds,
viz.,
(a) that the continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk
to the life of the pregnant woman, or of injury to the
physical or mental health of the pregnant woman or any
existing children of her family greater than if the pregnancy
were terminated, or
(b) that there is a substantial risk that if the child were born
it would suffer from physical or mental abnormalities as
to be seriously handicapped.
In forming any opinion under (a), account may be taken of the
woman's actual or reasonably foreseeable environment.
Except in the case of an emergency, an abortion must be carried
out in a N.H.S. hospital, in an approved Services hospital or in a
place for the time being approved by the Minister for the purposes
of the Act.
In the case of nursing homes registered by local authorities
under the Public Health Act, 1936, forms, seeking approval for the
premises to be used for abortions, are sent to the authority concerned
in each case asking them to check the facts and to advise if
there is any reason why the Minister should not give his approval.
The Act requires the Minister to make Regulations governing
the issue of a certificate of opinion and the giving notice of a
termination of pregnancy.
Although Section 4 of the Act frees a person from the duty to
participate in treatment to which he or she has a conscientious
objection, it puts the burden of proof on the person claiming it and,
furthermore, such conscientious objection cannot relieve a person
from the duty to participate in treatment which is necessary to
save the life or to prevent grave permanent injury to physical or
mental health of the pregnant woman.