Abortion legislation reform
Abortion legislation reform
21 November 2022
The State Government, through the Department of Health, is proposing changes to existing abortion legislation to improve access to safe and timely abortion care in Western Australia.
Abortion laws in WA have not been revised in the past 20 years.
The proposed legislation reform intends to:
- streamline care pathways and remove clinically unnecessary barriers to care
- align with laws in other States and Territories when suitable for the WA context.
The department has prepared a Discussion Paper which outlines the challenges to accessing abortion care and the suggested reforms.
Feedback from the community is key to ensuring an abortion care system is fit for purpose and enables women to easily access safe healthcare in WA.
We want to hear from women, people who have had abortions, family and support people, healthcare providers and experts on the key issues.
For more information, including the Discussion Paper, and to provide a submission visit the Department of Health’s public consultation page (external site).
The consultation is not seeking feedback on whether abortion should be precluded or prevented. Abortion is legally available healthcare in Western Australia.
The public consultation is open for a period of four weeks, closing Saturday 17 December 2022.