WA becomes the final state to decriminalise abortion, as premier praises change

This jurisdiction's new abortion laws have come into effect, creating better access to improved healthcare services for women.

New abortion laws have come into effect in Western Australia, making access easier. Source: Getty / Lisa Maree Williams

Key Points

• Abortion has officially been removed from Western Australia's criminal code.
• Nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives will be allowed to prescribe abortion drugs.
• The reforms reduce the number of health practitioners required to be involved in most abortions from two to one.

Western Australia's new abortion laws have come into effect, decriminalising the procedure and cementing access to improved healthcare for women.

Abortion has officially been removed from Western Australia's criminal code, as sweeping reforms improve access to healthcare for women across the state.

The new laws that came into effect on Wednesday remove clinically unnecessary barriers and bring WA into line with other jurisdictions.

Premier Roger Cook said his government was committed to tackling the inequity faced by women in regional and remote parts of the vast state.

"These significant reforms will make it easier for women to access vital services - regardless of where they live," he said.

The reforms reduce the number of health practitioners required to be involved in most abortions from two to one.

Western Australian Premier Roger Cook says the reforms will make easier for for women to access vital services regardless of where they live. Source: AAP / Richard Wainwright

Nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives will be allowed to prescribe abortion drugs within their scope of practice and the requirement for mandatory patient counselling has been removed.

Ministerial approval for a health service to perform late abortions is no longer required.

Health practitioners are permitted to conscientiously object to performing an abortion but they are required to refer the patient to another practitioner or provide information on where to access care.

The gestational limit at which additional requirements apply has been changed from 20 to 23 weeks to reflect current clinical practice and better align WA policy with other jurisdictions.

Women's Interests Minister Sue Ellery said the changes would mean women don't need to travel interstate for fundamental healthcare.

"MSI Australia, the only national and independently accredited provider of safe abortion and contraception care in the country, said it was a legislative victory and would bring abortion equity in WA."

Western Australians can now access abortion care without having to go through multiple GPs or an archaic and difficult panel review process," Managing Director Greg Johnson said.

"The changes better recognise and respect the bodily autonomy of women."

The Cook government announced the legislative amendments in September, saying at the time that it was "clear that the community and WA women want these reforms".