Abortion
| Date | 01 October 1939 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X3901200415 |
| Published date | 01 October 1939 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
Abortion
REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENTAL COMMITTEE
THE
publication of the report of the Inter-departmental
Committee on Abortion, presided over by
Mr.
W. Norman
Birkett, K.C., again focusses attention
upon
asubject which
has ramifications in many
spheres:
ethical, moral, social,
eugenic, sociological, medical and legal. We are concerned
mainly with
the
legal, or as we prefer to call it, the criminal,
aspects of abortion, and it is proposed here to discuss the
report, and
the
conclusions reached, from a Police point of
view.
The
ethical and sociological aspects of the problem are
matters for Parliament, in the interpretation of enlightened
public opinion, and in respect of which it need only be said
that the committee has collated and presented agreat deal of
material on which it may be hoped
that
all concerned will
inform themselves in future before venturing opinions and
criticism of the administration and enforcement of the existing
law.
The
committee was asked to enquire
into"
the prevalence
of abortion, and the law relating thereto, and to consider what
steps can be taken by more effective enforcement of the law or
otherwise to secure
the
reduction of maternal mortality and
morbidity arising from this cause."
Abortions are classified by the committee into three types:
(a) spontaneous, or natural, due to some condition of disease
and produced unintentionally, and therefore primarily a
medical problem; (b) therapeutic, an abortion induced in good
faith by a medical practitioner, when he is satisfied
that
con-
tinuance of his patient's pregnancy will endanger her life or
result in serious impairment of her health; and (c) criminal,
deliberate interference with
the
course of pregnancy in circum-
stances which do not afford a lawful justification for
that
interference.
49°
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