This tension between the purported and actual objective of the act was evident in the submissions made by Crown. They know that they carry a 'baby' inside them. When they make a decision to have an abortion, they are fighting against their maternal instincts, and they are in a state of conflict. What the Crown seems to be saying is that a decision made outside an access zone ought to be, in effect, irrevocable. They don't stand a chance.
Abortion is perhaps the most difficult area of constitutional debate in North America today.
When hamfisted governments enact oppressive legislation, civil libertarians have a duty to scrutinize it carefully and to denounce it. Meanwhile, the government has announced that Judge Cronin's decision will be appealed. Crown counsel has its work cut out.