Abortion is reserved to Westminster, why is this an issue for the Scottish Parliament?
Good question. Currently the Scottish Parliament does not have the power over abortion legislation but both the Catholic Church in Scotland and the First Minister Alex Salmond want this law devolved to Scotland, with the explicit intention to reduce the time limits for abortion from 24 to 20 weeks.
When devolution was first put to the Scottish public in the 1970s abortion was part of the devolution package. In 1997, it was not.
There is a view, certainly supported by the Catholic Church, that Scotland is a more regressive society which would be more likely to restrict women's right to an abortion than England. Therefore, the Church in Scotland backed Scottish independence in the lead up to the 2007 Scottish elections.
Therefore, Women's Abortion Rights Scotland want to send a strong message to politicians in the Scottish Parliament that the devolution/independence debate MUST NOT be used to undermine women's human rights in Scotland. Regardless of the constitutional settlement, a woman's right to determine the course of her life and to have control over her own body must be protected.
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