As a group we have been watching the progress of this matter from we first heard of it in 2005. The Abortion Policy Review Advisory Group was given a mandate to develop a policy for ‘safe abortions’. Please note that the first specific objective in the Terms of Reference was for the Advisory group ‘to’ and I quote from the Terms of Reference “articulate a policy for the provision of safe reproductive health services in Jamaica with special emphasis on safe abortions.” It is therefore not unreasonable to say that what they were mandated to do was make provisions to legalise abortions in Jamaica. This they have done. They have now basically recommended abortions on demand for us in respect of pregnancies under 22 weeks with partial birth abortions being possible but only in exceptional circumstances.

We note that the previous administration had promised to have consultations on the matter. This is a promise which has been repeated by this administration. In fact just a few Sundays ago there was an advertisement in the newspapers making it clear that the Ministry was advertising for a company to undertake the task of islandwide consultations. We welcome this move on the part of the Ministry of Health as it gives Jamaicans an opportunity to participate in this important decision. We therefore anticipate receiving through the media details of these public meetings. We would like to take this opportunity to urge Jamaicans to attend these meetings. Let them know that you do not approve of the killing of unborn babies.

As well as public consultations a Parliamentary Joint Select Committee will be accepting submissions. After this Committee has completed its deliberations a Report will be prepared and submitted to Parliament at which time Parliamentarians will be called to vote on the matter in a process referred to as a ‘conscience vote’. We expect that this conscience vote will be conducted in the usual manner allowing us as a populace to know how our Parliamentarians voted.

Our group is ready to provide all the assistance necessary to assist in the fight
against the proposals which have been made. We will research and do such presentations as may be necessary for the purpose of presenting to the public and to the Parliament the truth about abortion. Maybe I could take this opportunity to invite lawyers who are concerned about these proposals to make contact with us so that we can put hands and minds together in an effort to defeat these proposals and to put forward alternatives to our social problems .

We live in a world with an ethic which says save the trees and kill the babies. Let us save the trees –yes maybe let us save the trees for the babies. But let us reject an ethic which does not give primacy of place in creation to human beings. Let us make every effort at strengthening our belief in the sanctity of human life while at the same time rejecting those things that would further undermine this belief.