A SCRUTINY panel has written to the Health Minister to ask him to provide an update on a proposed amendment to the Island’s decades-old abortion legislation.
In their letter to Deputy Tom Binet, the Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel inquired about the government’s timeline in relation to a change to Jersey’s Termination of Pregnancy Law which would reduce costs faced by women who are seeking an abortion while on short-term work visas.
Speaking about the policy at a Scrutiny hearing last month, health policy director Ruth Johnson said that the current law – which means that an abortion costs over £500 for people who have not lived or worked in Jersey for long enough to be entitled to access government health care – puts “a cohort of women who are potentially quite vulnerable into a very difficult position”.
It recently emerged that only this particular aspect of the law was due to be amended during the term of the current government.
Comprehensive changes to the abortion law have been delayed until 2026 due to what have been termed “resourcing challenges” – despite previous announcements that wholesale new legislation would be voted on by States Members before the end of this year.
The panel has requested a “written update” on the progress of the planned amendment, which is intended to “enable the provision of a service for women on short-term visas who are not ordinary residents and have not been here for 90 days”.
It has asked for confirmation that this work is still ongoing and whether it is on track to be completed by the end of the year.
Panel members also questioned the minister about whether there were any other critical areas that needed to be changed urgently or brought forward.
The letter read: “Do you believe that charging for access to this health care is appropriate? Even in cases of rape?”
