I write about the NSW government’s draft Crimes Legislation (Offences against Pregnant Women) Bill. The proposed bill is a poor version of ‘Zoe’s Law’ – the title of bills previously introduced into NSW Parliament by the Christian Democratic Party's Rev Hon Fred Nile MLC. “Zoe’s law” was a result of the tragic loss of the unborn baby daughter of Brodie Donegan on Christmas Day 2009 when a speeding driver hit and seriously injured her and killed her unborn baby who she named Zoe. Premier Gladys Berejiklian MP promised that if she won government in the March 2019 state election she would introduce legislation making it a crime to harm or cause the death of a foetus when committing a criminal act. It is clear that the proposed government Bill does not give the unborn child, or the parents, the human respect and dignity of recognising the loss of life as a separate offence from the criminal act against its mother. I urge you to amend the proposed bill to treat the death of an unborn as a separate offence against the unborn child with its own separate and appropriate penalty.

I write about the NSW government’s draft Crimes Legislation (Offences against Pregnant Women) Bill. The proposed bill is a poor version of ‘Zoe’s Law’ – the title of bills previously introduced into NSW Parliament by the Christian Democratic Party's Rev Hon Fred Nile MLC. “Zoe’s law” was a result of the tragic loss of the unborn baby daughter of Brodie Donegan on Christmas Day 2009 when a speeding driver hit and seriously injured her and killed her unborn baby who she named Zoe. Premier Gladys Berejiklian MP promised that if she won government in the March 2019 state election she would introduce legislation making it a crime to harm or cause the death of a foetus when committing a criminal act. It is clear that the proposed government Bill does not give the unborn child, or the parents, the human respect and dignity of recognising the loss of life as a separate offence from the criminal act against its mother. I urge you to amend the proposed bill to treat the death of an unborn as a separate offence against the unborn child with its own separate and appropriate penalty.