The lower house of the Polish Parliament, the Sejm, commenced a public hearing on Thursday morning for discussion of proposed bills concerning abortion, drawing fervent arguments from both advocates and opponents of abortion rights.
Scheduled to last approximately 11 hours, the hearing in the Column Hall of the Sejm saw participation from 30 organizations and 307 individuals. Each organization was allotted four minutes, while individual speakers were given two minutes to present their viewpoints.
Key arguments were presented during the hearing, with Grażyna Ewa Rybak of the Catholic Association of Polish Physicians speaking against the proposed bills, asserting that they aim to impose a standard of killing on doctors and patients under the guise of healthcare. Rybak emphasized the uniqueness of each unborn child, denouncing the proposals for abortion up to the 12th week of pregnancy.
In contrast, proponents of liberalizing abortion laws stressed the importance of legal protection for women, arguing that the law's primary purpose should be to safeguard women's rights. Lawyer Kamila Ferenc from the Federation for Women and Family Planning emphasized women’s autonomy in decision-making regarding their bodies.
An incident briefly disrupted the proceedings following Mariusz Dzierżawski's remarks about German occupiers permitting abortions in Poland during World War II.
Committee Chair Dorota Łoboda called for a short break, after which the hearing resumed.
The Committee for consideration of projects related to the right to abortion is set to begin substantive work on them in May. “I think the projects will leave the committee with our opinion in September–October,” said Dorota Łoboda.
The first project to be reviewed will be the Left’s proposal to amend the Criminal Code, aiming to decriminalize acts related to pregnancy termination. This includes the exclusion of criminal liability for abortion up to the 12th week with the woman’s consent and the removal of penalties for assisting a pregnant woman in terminating her pregnancy.
Other proposals, including those from the Left and Civic Coalition, seek to introduce the option of abortion up to the 12th week at the woman’s discretion.
Additionally, the Third Way political alliance proposes a return to the legal status before the Constitutional Tribunal’s 2020 ruling, reinstating the possibility of abortion in cases of severe fetal defects and suggesting a referendum on abortion regulations.
Key arguments were presented during the hearing, with Grażyna Ewa Rybak of the Catholic Association of Polish Physicians speaking against the proposed bills, asserting that they aim to impose a standard of killing on doctors and patients under the guise of healthcare. Rybak emphasized the uniqueness of each unborn child, denouncing the proposals for abortion up to the 12th week of pregnancy.
In contrast, proponents of liberalizing abortion laws stressed the importance of legal protection for women, arguing that the law's primary purpose should be to safeguard women's rights. Lawyer Kamila Ferenc from the Federation for Women and Family Planning emphasized women’s autonomy in decision-making regarding their bodies.
An incident briefly disrupted the proceedings following Mariusz Dzierżawski's remarks about German occupiers permitting abortions in Poland during World War II.
Committee Chair Dorota Łoboda called for a short break, after which the hearing resumed.
The Committee for consideration of projects related to the right to abortion is set to begin substantive work on them in May. “I think the projects will leave the committee with our opinion in September–October,” said Dorota Łoboda.
The first project to be reviewed will be the Left’s proposal to amend the Criminal Code, aiming to decriminalize acts related to pregnancy termination. This includes the exclusion of criminal liability for abortion up to the 12th week with the woman’s consent and the removal of penalties for assisting a pregnant woman in terminating her pregnancy.
Other proposals, including those from the Left and Civic Coalition, seek to introduce the option of abortion up to the 12th week at the woman’s discretion.
Additionally, the Third Way political alliance proposes a return to the legal status before the Constitutional Tribunal’s 2020 ruling, reinstating the possibility of abortion in cases of severe fetal defects and suggesting a referendum on abortion regulations.
Source: TVP World, PAP
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