The draft law for widening the charges for numerical obstruction to abortion is scheduled to be examined again by the French Senate on Tuesday, February 14. On February 8, during the second reading, the text was not adopted by the Senate Social Affairs Committee, following joint committee’s failure to reach an agreement. Since the French Joint Parliamentary Committee had failed to reach an agreement, this highly controversial legislation was sent to the National Assembly, where it is likely to be rejected during the public session.
A final reading is scheduled for Thursday, February 16, since the MP’s have the final word in case of disagreement.
>> For Info : retrospective study on the French National Assembly debates on Numerical Obstruction to Abortion.
During the parliamentary debates there were several criticisms that the bill would represent a serious attack on freedom of speech, and create confusion in penal law, therefore the Constitutional Council will undoubtedly be called upon to edit the final text for the deputies’ vote.
Caroline Roux : Alliance VITA’s Assistant General Delegate and Coordinator for the Listening Service Crisis Center
« At this stage the result is an alarming bill against the freedom of expression and women’s’ rights to be informed. The impartiality of information is at stake, as well as the preventive measures on pressure to abort, which are currently both denied and ignored. Alliance VITA will now file suit to have inexact or biased information deleted from the government’s web site.
