March 4, 2006 Doctors for Life ( DFL) International was delighted to receive the news that the State of South Dakota in the United States passed legislation on 1 March 2006 outlawing all abortions except when the life of the mother is threatened. International commentators on the major news channels all agreed that such a course is likely to be followed by 'several other states' and will inevitably lead to Roe vs. Wade being reconsidered in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is of course very differently constituted now as compared with 30 years ago when Roe vs. Wade was considered. Commentators in particular draw attention to the fact that President Bush has recently appointed a new Chief Justice and a new associate justice both of whom are known to be conservative in their views. Doctors for Life believe that in South Africa, like the rest of the world, the tide is clearly turning towards what medical science teaches about the unborn child as abortion becomes increasingly abhorrent to ordinary citizens. In South Africa, we await the judgment of the Constitutional Court in our case against Parliament in respect of the Abortion Amendment Act. Our other two abortions suits, one in respect of the theatre sister who was dismissed for refusing to participate in abortions on conscientious grounds, and the other on behalf of the school girl who was the victim of a 28 week illegal abortion, will be heard in the course of this current year. DFL point also, to the immensely important and ground-breaking police prosecution of the doctor and staff of the Rose Clinic, Durban, against whom 23,000 charges relating to 1400 illegal abortions have been laid. This case will also come to trial this year.
‘Doctors for Life International’ represents more than 1100 medical doctors and specialists, three-quarters of who practise in South Africa. DFL was founded as a South African organisation in 1991 and has spread across the globe. DFL is involved in several community projects including orphan care, the care of terminal AIDS patients, malaria treatment and the care of abused women.
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