Tyrone Reid, Enterprise Reporter

Pressure from several religious and professional bodies has forced the Government to abort plans to table the abortion report in Parliament before staging an island-wide series of consultations.

"The Minister has decided to honour the agreement that was made by the previous Government to undertake broad consultations before he tables the report of an advisory policy group on abortion which was established in 2005," read a statement from Sandra Graham, strategic reform analyst/change management specialist in the Ministry of Health.

Ms. Graham said further that the Minister was of the view that the select committee on human resources and social development would have facilitated broad consultation by inviting submissions from interested parties.

Legalise abortion

However, the interest groups are still concerned that there is a push to legalise abortion through the proverbial back door.

Shirley Richards, president of Lawyers' Christian Fellowship - one of the six groups signatories to an open letter to Prime Minister Bruce Golding, published in The Gleaner on Tuesday as a full page advertisement - told our news team that after a symposium in August this year, which was attended by the former Minister of Health, the impression was given that the legalising of abortion was signed and sealed.

"From reports we got, that was the impression which was given, that the abortion issue was a done deal," said Mrs Richards.

She added: "We are saying no to abortion, but we are also very concerned about the procedure which is being utilised to legalise it."

While the groups have not seen the report, their checks have indicated that the report favours the legalising of the controversial operation. "The report we know is a pro abortion report but we haven't been able to get the report (but) when you look at the terms of reference and discussions we have had with persons on the committee, we get the strong impression that it is a pro abortion report," she said.

On the other hand, Ms. Graham said her administration would refrain from labelling the report. "The Ministry is not ascribing a label to the report.

Conscience vote

Certain recommendations were made in the report and the Parliament will consider those recommendations as well as the outcome of the consultation."

She also stated that the Prime Minister had previously indicated to Parliament that the matter could be subject to a conscience vote.

In the open letter published Tuesday, the interest groups requested that Mr. Golding use his authority to ensure that his administration honours a pledge that was made to the public during the reign of their predecessors.

"We are asking that you use the powers available to you as Prime Minister to instruct the relevant authorities to ensure that these consultations are held," read a section of the letter. "This will assist in ensuring the full participation of the Jamaican people in this life and death matter."

tyrone.reid@gleanerjm.com

Signatories to the open letter to PM Golding:

Family Life Ministries

Jamaica Association of Evangelicals

Concerned Medical Doctors

Family Life Commission (Archdiocese of Kingston)

Lawyers' Christian Fellowship

Archdiocese of Kingston (Father Kenneth Richards)