Barriers to Access to Abortion Through a Legal Lens

Jocelyn Downie & Carla Nassar, “Barriers to Access to Abortion Through a Legal Lens” (2008) 15 Health Law Journal 143-173.

31 Pages Posted: 10 Dec 2015

See all articles by Jocelyn Downie

Jocelyn Downie

Schulich School of Law & Faculty of Medicine

Carla Nassar

Dalhousie University

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: May 31, 2007

Abstract

In addressing whether the procedure for obtaining abortions was operating equitably across Canada, the 1977 Badgley Report concluded that for many women, access to abortion was “practically illusory.” Sadly, although abortion on request became legally permissible for Canadian women in 1988, access to a safe and legal abortion remains practically illusory for many women today. A woman seeking an abortion in Canada must overcome numerous barriers. She must find a way to secure for herself some of the limited resources that our health care system provides for abortion. She must also expend her own, often scarce, personal resources: her time, her money, and her emotional energy. Access is also compromised by other factors such as the lack of information, support, and privacy.

The ultimate goal is to contribute to the development of legal strategies aimed at achieving meaningful access to abortion for all women in Canada.

Keywords: abortion, privacy, law, health law, policy

JEL Classification: I28, I29, I31, K32

Suggested Citation

Downie, Jocelyn and Nassar, Carla, Barriers to Access to Abortion Through a Legal Lens (May 31, 2007). Jocelyn Downie & Carla Nassar, “Barriers to Access to Abortion Through a Legal Lens” (2008) 15 Health Law Journal 143-173., Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2071284

Jocelyn Downie (Contact Author)

Schulich School of Law & Faculty of Medicine ( email )

Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4H9
Canada

Carla Nassar

Dalhousie University ( email )

6225 University Avenue
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4H7
Canada

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