South Australia to become last state to decriminalise abortion after early morning debate.
Abortion will be eliminated from South Australia's criminal code after more than 22 hours of parliamentary debate, with the bill to return to the Legislative Council for a final vote.
Debate in the Lower House over legislation to move abortion out of the South Australian criminal code continued well into Friday morning, passing 29 votes to 15.
Legislation already passed through the Upper House last year.
Because several compromise amendments were passed, the bill will now return to the Council for a final vote, but action groups are already celebrating it as a win.
The bill will mean abortion will now be treated entirely as a health issue, thereby bringing South Australia in line with the country's other state and territories.
A bill for safe, legal and compassionate access to abortion care has just been passed by SA's lower house!!!
— Fair Agenda (@FairAgenda) February 18, 2021
29 votes to 15.
Thank you to all the MPs who have championed this reform, and to our partners in advocacy for more compassionate laws, including @SA_AAC & @rightsagenda