Queensland
Abortion Death Toll
An estimated 10,000–14,000 children every year
Abortion rates are not reported in Queensland, and so we can only estimate the number of children who are murdered each year. This estimate is based on the official data from New South Wales and South Australia.
Legislation
Abortion is legal up to birth in Queensland under the Termination of Pregnancy Act 2018.
According to the Act:
- Up to 22 weeks gestation, a medical practitioner may abort a preborn child without any restrictions.
- After 22 weeks gestation, a preborn child may be aborted if two medical practitioners, after considering all relevant medical circumstances and the woman's current and future physical, psychological and social circumstances, agree that the child should be aborted. These broad categories make it extremely easy for a woman in Queensland to abort her child up to birth.
- In an emergency, a single medical practitioner may abort a preborn child of more than 22 weeks gestation if the practitioner considers that the abortion is necessary to save the woman's life or the life of another unborn child.
David Crisafulli's Ban on Repealing Queensland's Abortion Legislation
On 10th December, 2024, the Crisafulli LNP government passed the following motion:
- That, notwithstanding anything in standing or sessional orders, this House orders that:
- no bill or amendment seeking to amend the Termination of Pregnancy Act 2018 is allowed to be introduced.
- no motion or amendment seeking to have this House express its views on the Termination of Pregnancy Act 2018 is allowed to be moved.
- The Speaker is to rule out of order any bill, motion or amendment that offends the order in 1.
Until this motion is revoked, no bill to abolish abortion may be introduced into the Queensland Parliament.
Source: https://documents.parliament.qld.gov.au/events/han/2024/2024_12_10_WEEKLY.pdf (see pp 219-224 of the document)
Buffer Zones Around Abortion Clinics
The Termination of Pregnancy Act 2018 places a default 150 metre buffer zone around all abortion clinics (this does not include pharmacies). This buffer zone may be changed by regulation if 150 metres is deemed insufficient.
It is an offence (with a maximum penalty of 20 penalty units or 1 year's imprisonment) to:
- protest abortion within a buffer zone
- attempt to dissuade a mother from killing her child within a buffer zone
- attempt to dissuade an abortionist from killing children within a buffer zone
It is unclear whether praying silently within a buffer zone would be considered an offence.