‘D’ case and the right to a brief life

ONE may be forgiven for thinking that the decision of ‘Miss D’ not to undergo a surgical abortion in favour of an early inducement is a victory for good over evil.

I would prefer to say it may simply be the lesser of two evils by the smallest of margins. To favour an early inducement over a surgical abortion at the very least gives the child the dignity of living a brief life, of being shown love, christened, dying a natural death and receiving a burial. These are all denied by surgical abortions.

While the decision not to have a surgical abortion is commendable, there are still many moral principles to be considered in light of her decision to bring the child into the world prematurely.