Women civil group awaits court ruling on burial of aborted and miscarried foetuses
The Women’s Legal Centre is eagerly awaiting a Constitutional Court judgment that may or may not infringe on the right to access safe and legal abortions.
Last week, a Full Bench heard argument from Voice of The Unborn Baby and the Catholic Church around the burial of a pre-viable foetus.
Advocate Donrich Thaldar is trying to overturn a Pretoria High Court judgment in March in which Justice Mnqibisa-Thusi ruled the option to bury a foetus under 26 weeks, would not be extended to those who choose an abortion.
Thaldar maintained they only want this right extended to those who miscarry: “Women, parents who do not have an emotional attachment to their unborn child should be under no pressure whatsoever to bury them.”
However, in order for this to happen, Parliament would have to rewrite a few laws, one being the definition of a dead body.
Representing the church, advocate Adrian d’Oliveira said they remained resolute on this meaning.
“Members of the Catholic Church and many others in the country believe that an unborn foetus is a person.”
The Women’s Legal Centre is a friend of the responding government departments.
Attorney Khulisa Managa said while they had raised concerns on how this would impact abortions, government still needed to come to the table, so the courts could make an informed decision.
“It really remains to be seen what the judges will do, considering there’s a lot of information that they need from home affairs and the Department of Health. Right now, it seems like they do not have sufficient information before them.”
Judgment has been reserved.
-EWN
In other news – VIDEO of one of Major League DJz grabbing Uncle Waffles gets social media angry
Uncle Waffles has topped Twitter’s trending list over the last two weeks as tweeps gushed over her ability to entertain hundreds of party-goers with her dance moves. This time, tweeps are defending her after noticing she looked “uncomfortable” while one-half of the Major League DJz duo grabbed her around her waist.
Uncle Waffles was one of the few Mzansi celebs and influencers who attended the Remy Martin Team Up dinner on Tuesday 2 November at the luxury Four Seasons Hotel: The Westcliff, in Johannesburg. Learn More
