Strong church support for Zoe’s Law Bill

For broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 23 March 2014

The Catholic Bishop of Parrramatta, the Most Reverend Anthony Fisher, has written to Members of the NSW Legislative Council, urging them to support the Crimes Amendment (Zoe’s Law) Bill (No. 2) 2013.

Named for Zoe, the child of Brodie Donegan and Nick Ball, who was killed at 32 weeks’ gestation when a driver allegedly affected by drugs hit the pregnant Brodie, the bill seeks to enable charges to be brought against defendants for committing grievous bodily harm to an unborn child.

Bishop Fisher says the reform will fill a gap in the law, recognising the unborn child as a separate person while not restricting a woman’s legal capacity to terminate her child.

The bill passed the NSW Lower House in November by an overwhelming majority, but passage through the Upper House is in doubt.  The NSW Cuncil of Churches urges Members of the NSW Legislative Council to support the bill.

I’m Rod Benson for the NSW Council of Churches.