Tasmanian women will be able to seek a termination to their pregnancy up to 16 weeks under new legislation tabled in the State’s House of Assembly.

State Health Minister, Michelle O’Byrne, said that the Repoductive Health (Access to Terminations) Bill incorporated a number of changes to address key concerns raised during the consultation period.

“As expected the response was significant, diverse and passionate, but we have listened and I believe the changes incorporated into the current Bill strike a reasonable balance,” Ms O’Byrne said.

“Most significantly, the gestational line for requiring the opinion of two doctors to allow a termination to go ahead will be lowered to 16 weeks – down from the 24 weeks proposed initially.

“This means it will be legal for a doctor to perform a termination procedure up to and including 16 weeks gestation as long as the woman has consented.

“After 16 weeks the current legal requirement of needing the assessment of two doctors will remain.”

Ms O’Byrne said the other significant change related to the conscientious objection of medical practitioners.  They will no longer be subject to a fine if they hold a conscientious objection to terminations and fail to refer a woman onto another practitioner who does not.

“Instead doctors will be subject to the usual professional sanctions.”

“The Bill will ensure a woman will never be subject to criminal sanctions for making a choice to terminate her pregnancy and ensure access to the service is available to every woman no matter where they live or how much money they earn.

“It is simply not right that a termination of a pregnancy remains the only medical procedure criminalised and regulated under the Criminal Code – this Bill will change that,” Ms O’Byrne said.