TO: The Honourable Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland.

This petition of Queensland citizens draws to the attention of the House to the fact that termination of pregnancy remains a criminal offence in Queensland.

Under the current legislation, women are at risk of criminal prosecution for accessing a safe medical procedure. Health professionals also remain at risk of prosecution for providing safe abortion services to women.

Queensland law on this matter is increasingly out of step with other Australian states and territories. In 2002, the ACT Legislative Assembly removed abortion from the Crimes Act, and in 2008 Victorian Parliament decriminalised abortion in that state. The majority of public opinion in Queensland has consistently supported the decriminalisation of abortion.

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to repeal sections 224, 225, and 226 of the Criminal Code to ensure that termination of pregnancy is no longer subject to criminal law.