•AUSTRALIA: Abortion after 20 weeks is allowed if two medical practitioners of a panel of at least six appointed by the health minister agree that the mother or the unborn child has a severe medical condition that justifies the procedure. In 1993, the Australian Health Act was amended to provide for abortion to be performed by a registered medical practitioner in a ‘medical facility’.

•UK: Abortion has been legal in England, Scotland and Wales since the Abortion Act passed in 1967. However, it remains illegal in Northern Ireland. The Act allows a woman to receive an abortion to save her life, to prevent grave permanent injury to her health, and to avoid injury to her or her child’s physical or mental health, but before 28 weeks. The time limits were lowered from 28 weeks to 24 to reflect improving medical technology.

•CHINA: Under its one-child policy, the ntional law instructs doctors to recommend abortion whenever the baby has a serious hereditary disease, a “serious deformity” or the pregnancy endangers the mother’s health. It also has a forced abortion policy, with the concept of “illegal pregnancy”. The policy requires that parents with two children be sterilised and a woman pregnant with a third child be forcibly aborted.

•CANADA: There are no legal restrictions on abortion. However, prior to 1969, it was an offence liable with life imprisonment. In 1969, a provision made an exception for abortions performed in a hospital with the approval of its three-doctor therapeutic abortion committee.

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