Abstract
The issue of abortion was propelled into the global spotlight in October 2012 when Savita Halappanavar, a 31-year-old dentist who was 17-weeks pregnant, sought treatment at Ireland's University Hospital Galway. Despite the fact that she was having a miscarriage and the foetus had no chance of survival, the hospital refused to terminate the pregnancy while a foetal heartbeat remained. When the abortion was eventually performed, days after she presented to the hospital, it was too late for Savita; she had contracted septicaemia and died as a result. This tragedy demonstrates that in the year 2012, it was possible for a woman to walk into a first world hospital, in western Europe no less, and be denied a potentially life-saving abortion. So what is the situation in Australia? Could such a tragedy happen in our own backyard? This article explores the availability and legality of abortion in Australia.
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