Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer
Minister of Health, Rudyard Spencer (left), Bertrand Bainvel (centre), representative, UNICEF Jamaica, and Damian Hutchinson of the Peace Management Initiative, were among many who attended the Peace Month campaign press launch on Thursday, February 7. The launch was held at The Courtleigh hotel in St Andrew.

The Government yesterday stressed that it was neither for nor against abortion and promised widespread public discussion before this matter is debated in Parliament.

An alliance of church and civic groups on Thursday said it would declare war against the Government if it moved to legalise abortion in Jamaica. This follows the tabling of the Abortion Policy Review Advisory Group report in Parliament last month.

"The Government isn't acting in any partial way. We are neither for at this stage, nor against. We are merely facilitators in trying to facilitate a wide discussion in the public domain," Rudyard Spencer, minister of health and environment, said yesterday at a press conference, held at the Office of the Prime Minister.

Spencer said the Ministry of Health and Environment has placed advertisements for a facilitator, who would conduct focus-group discussions islandwide.

There is absolutely no Bill

"I found it disturbing when I heard it on the news that the Government was fast-tracking this bill. There is absolutely no bill," Spencer stressed.

He added: "What the Government has been doing is yielding to the request of those people (anti-abortionists) in trying to set in the Parliament a framework where people can come and address the committee on their concerns with respect to the bill."

Spencer said a committee was named by the House of Representatives recently and was awaiting names from the Senate. He indicated that the committee is expected to review the matter. Interested parties would also present their concerns to the committee.

He noted that there would then be widespread public discussion islandwide, facilitated by the Ministry of Health and Environment.

"There is going to be a fulsome debate in the House whenever the bill is taken to the House. This is such a delicate matter that I would believe that there is going to be a conscience vote on this matter," Spencer told reporters.

Meanwhile, Dr Sheila Campbell-Forrester, chief medical officer of health in the Ministry of Health and Environment, said the Government has in the past turned a blind eye to the illegal abortions that have been taking place in Jamaica.

Some of the recommendations made by the Abortion Policy Review Advisory Group