Do NOT make it a serious crime for doctors to perform an abortion before fetal viability
There is debate about whether abortion should be a crime. Previous Supreme Court rulings held that abortion could not be criminalized before the fetus is viable (able to survive outside the womb, generally 22-24 weeks). A proposal would ensure that abortion before viability is not a crime and that doctors who provide it cannot be prosecuted.
Arguments For & Against
Pro Argument
Any abortion law should balance the rights of the woman and the fetus. Until the fetus can live outside the womb, it is completely dependent on the woman and should be considered part of her body. She should have the right to decide whether to continue the pregnancy. Once a fetus can live independently, the law can appropriately extend protections.
Con Argument
Abortion is the ending of an innocent life and should be treated as such by the law. Drawing the line at viability is arbitrary — why should a fetus developing for one month have fewer legal protections than one developing for six months? All life has value from conception.
Source document: Abortion-Questionnaire-National.pdf
| Type | Organization | Date | Nat | Rep | Dem | Gap | Metric |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New PPC Survey (2026) | Program for Public Consultation | February 2026 | 50% | 26% | 69% | 43% | other |
| Deliberative Survey | Program for Public Consultation | July 2024 | 66% | 50% | 81% | 31% | other |
Program for Public Consultation — February 2026
There is a debate about whether it should be a serious crime for a doctor to provide an abortion at different stages of pregnancy. Please select which option you favor the most:
Program for Public Consultation — July 2024
Now that you have considered the various options, we would like you to make your final recommendations on whether abortion should be a serious crime and if so under what circumstances. If you do choose to make abortion a crime, you will then be given the chance to choose whether the law should punish the doctor and/or the woman; and whether there should be exceptions to that law… which of the following do you favor the most:
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