It nonetheless subjects the practice of abortion in the ACT to more legal constraints than was formerly the case. For example, the new law requires a pregnant woman who has requested an abortion to be shown 'pictures or drawings and descriptions' of the foetus at various stages of its development. The new law also imposes a 72 hour waiting period before an abortion can be performed. These new legal restrictions are imposed in no other State and Territory of Australia. Abortion is not the only issue that raises these questions.
Capital punishment is another.
Another is euthanasia. Recall that in March last year the Federal Parliament narrowly passed the 'Andrews Bill', which removed the Territories' power to make laws that permit euthanasia. This was a response to the passage in 1995 by the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly of legislation that allowed doctors to accede in specified circumstances to a terminally ill, competent adult patient's request for assistance in ending the patient's life. It is unlikely that the Federal Parliament will intervene to overturn the Osborne measure in this way. First, the new ACT abortion law was never considered by a Select Committee.