Abortions to be made legal for girls under 16 in Western Australia without parental consent under new proposed laws

Girls under the age of 16 can have abortions without having to tell their parents, under proposed laws to be introduced next week in Western Australia’s state parliament.

WA is the only state in Australia where minors, regardless of age, are required to notify one parent or guardian if they wish to terminate a pregnancy.

The parent or guardian must also be given the opportunity to participate in the guidance before a decision is made.

If a child in WA wants an abortion and doesn’t want to tell their parents, the only way they can do it currently is to file a petition with the children’s court.

The 2023 Abortion Reform Act would change this by recognizing the concept of the adult minor, where a young person has sufficient understanding and intelligence to consent to their own medical treatment.

“Physicians are well-versed in processes to determine children’s decision-making ability,” WA Health Secretary Amber-Jade Sanderson said, according to the Western Australian.

Ms Sanderson admitted that some MPs have strong views on the subject and stressed that it was a vote of conscience – allowing MPs to vote based on their personal views rather than party policies.

She expected a “respectful and sensitive debate” to follow next week.

“Parliamentarians are experienced enough and mature enough to do this in a sensitive way while expressing their own personal opinion,” she said.

WA was the first state to decriminalize abortion, passing legislation in 1998.

However, it has not fallen behind other jurisdictions since then.

In 2012, WA became the last state to regulate “safe entry zones,” which prevent protests within 500 feet of abortion clinics.