Protection for Some Unborn in France

French lawmakers have approved an amendment that grants the unborn child protection from death caused by negligence or recklessness. Gisele Halimi, a women's rights lawyer, condemned the amendment, claiming that the lawmakers were "introducing into our law a new concept that gives foetuses a legal personality." However, Jacque Barrot, parliamentary leader of the ruling UMP party stated: "It is regrettable that this amendment, which sets out to improve the remedy of an injustice, should have provoked such a senseless quarrel."

[Yahoo News, 28 November] Links to web-based sources are on the web-version of this email. Such emails are listed at www.spuc.org.uk/news. This bulletin is privately circulated by the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, 5-6 St Matthew Street, London, United Kingdom, SW1P 2JT, +44 20 7222 5845. The reliability of the news herein depends on that of the cited sources, which are paraphrased rather than quoted. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the society.  Copyright SPUC 2003