A LEADING woman QC is to head the court action against Scotland's chief medical officer over proposals which allow home abortions.
Morag Ross has been hired by the anti-abortion organisation the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (Scotland) in the move to seek a Judicial Review of the measure which will be heard in the Court of Session in Edinburgh. Papers were served by SPUC on the Scottish Government on Friday.
Under the Scottish Government plan, approved in October, women seeking help from abortion clinics will be given the drug Misoprostol which they will be able to take in their own home to induce a termination.
SPUC claims that this risks adverse health outcomes for women and that the 1967 Abortion Act was "not intended to allow abortions to take place at home”.
The action is against Dr Catherine Calderwood, Scotland's chief medical officer, whose home abortion plan has been approved by the Scottish Government. Despite threats of action by SPUC, Calderwood and the Government have refused to drop the plan.
Calderwood responded to SPUC: “We have noted the contents of your letter, but do not accept that there is any reason to withdraw the approval.”
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