Select a region
Politicians in charge of scrutinising health policy have backed a proposal to remove current residency requirements from the island's abortion law so that "potentially vulnerable or isolated" people in the island on work permits can access pregnancy terminations.
In November, the Assistant Minister with responsibility for women's health issues, Deputy Andy Howell, put forward plans to update the island's abortion legislation to enable those who are in Jersey for the purposes of work, but who do not have full residency rights, to access abortion services.
If approved by States Members, the amendment would remove the 90-day minimum residency requirement that is currently in place to access an abortion in Jersey.
The Termination of Pregnancy (Jersey) 1997 Law requires a person to be either ordinarily resident in the island, or have been resident for 90 days immediately preceding that day on which the abortion takes place.
Pictured: Health Minister Tom Binet delegated responsibility for women's health to Assistant Minister Andy Howell last year.
Under the current law, the limit for accessing an abortion on the grounds of distress is the end of the 12th week of pregnancy, which is equivalent to 84 days.
This, combined with the 90-day qualifying period for a non-ordinarily resident, means that someone who is pregnant on arrival in Jersey or shortly after arrival is unable to access an abortion in the island.
"This is known to create hardship for women who are in Jersey for the purposes of work but who ordinarily live elsewhere and are, therefore, potentially vulnerable or isolated," Deputy Howell explained in a report explaining her proposal.
Pictured: The proposed amendment to the law would require the abortion patient to be present in Jersey during the two legally mandated pre-procedure consultations.
The Health Scrutiny Panel has since given its backing to the plan, noting that: "This inequity currently causes significant hardship for some groups of women."
The Panel added that it does not think the amendment will result in people travelling to the island solely for the purposes of getting an abortion due to the two legally mandated pre-procedure consultations with an approved registered medical professional.
"If these consultations are with a GP, the average cost per consultation is £30.00, this cost along with the fee associated with the procedure; £185 for someone who is entitled to health care in Jersey and £511 for someone who is not entitled to health care, plus travel to the island and accommodation may prove prohibitive, particularly considering that neighbouring jurisdictions allow terminations at a later gestation period," the report said.
The Panel also called for regular updates on further amendments to the island's "outdated" abortion law – funding for which was agreed during the Government's Budget debate last month.
"The Panel expect regular updates on the progression of this workstream and anticipate the urgently required amendments to be lodged prior to the end of 2025 as agreed," the report said.
"The amendments will ensure the feedback from the Government of Jersey’s 2023 public consultation is acknowledged, and the law reflects societal values, takes steps to improve women’s health and wellbeing, aligns with medical advancements, addresses inequalities, and legal and ethical issues."
It comes amid increasing scrutiny of Jersey's abortion process, with a £10,000 independent review quietly published last year uncovering a raft of issues in need of addressing – from "distressing" waits to confidentiality concerns and what was described as a "dehumanising" system for seeking financial help.
INSIGHT: The "distressing" process of seeking an abortion in Jersey
Could Jersey's abortion law see first update in quarter-century?
Doctors have "discretion" to waive abortion fees
Quarter-century-old abortion law will not see update until late-2026
FOCUS: "Another cost for the 'privilege' of womanhood"
"Deeply concerning" that rape victims have to pay for abortions
FOCUS: Jersey's "lost" gynaecology ward
IN NUMBERS: What do islanders think about Jersey's abortion laws?
Contraception survey launched as local options fall further behind UK
Does Jersey's abortion law need an update?
EXPLAINED: How far behind is Jersey's abortion law?
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.