Abortion In Canada

Whether or not abortion should be restricted in the law is a controversial issue in most of the nations today. Some countries have a legal restriction for abortion. In other countries, abortion is regulated and determined by the health act. Canada is one of the nations in which abortion has no legal constraints. Earlier on in Canada abortion had been made illegal. Today, however, there are no legal restrictions on abortion. Abortion in Canada is such that if doctors find it necessary then it should be done. However, this does not necessarily mean that abortion is never done otherwise as there is no law provision in the Canada Constitution. Surprisingly it is reported that despite the fact that there is no legal restriction on the subject, the number of abortions has been on the decrease as from 1998. The decision of abortion in Canada is left to the doctor and the expectant mother.

Illegal abortion in Canada

In 1869, abortion had been completely illegalized in Canada. It was not allowed. The practice was only performed in the hospitals in attempts to save a life if the pregnancy was a threat. However, it was shocking that during this time that abortion was banned, women practiced unsafe abortions illegally. Those from wealthy backgrounds would, however, pay nurses in hospitals for abortions. During the period when abortion had been made illegal in Canada many women were reported dead from abortion attempts that got complicated. The ban was thus ineffective as the practice was still being done illegally and led to several deaths at the time. Liberalization movements of abortion laws in Canada started around 1960.This was found necessary to combat the rise in mortality rates of pregnant women.

Easing of Abortion Rules in Canada

Liberalization movements against the abortion law saw the country into new developments regarding abortion. The alarming deaths were an issue that needed to be addressed immediately by the legislation of Canada. There were proposals to amend the law on abortion that were included in the newspapers. Some recommended for the lift of the ban on abortion in Canada. It was later agreed on that if the doctors realized that the pregnancy was a threat to the health of the mother then it would be legal to terminate the pregnancy. However, no specifications were given to health. Abortion thus became a business or an affair that would be decided upon by the doctors and the expectant mothers. The law could thus allow doctors to give theories for why abortion would be necessary.