Robert Halliday Archives - Protection of Conscience Project Library

R Halliday

Canadian Medical Association Journal, CMAJ — Canadian Medical Association Journal

Extract
Dr. Ough correctly points out that “the abortion controversy is essentially a conflict of ethical systems” and acknowledges that one may practise within either a “traditional” or “utilitarian” ethic. . . . A utilitarian ethic, or a social ethic, may lead to legalization of abortion on demand . . . However, I do not believe the medical ethic embraces the concept of abortion (or hysterectomy, or providing narcotics, or commitment to a mental hospital) on demand. We are medical practitioners, not agents or practitioners for a theory of social engineering…

Halliday R. (Correspondence) Therapeutic abortion. Can Med Assoc J. 1975 November 8;113(9):821.

Robert Halliday

Extract
As a psychiatrist I have examined many patients who were referred for emotional or psychological assessment and, where appropriate, I have recommended that the pregnancy be terminated. . . While I am prepared to agree that in this area there may be dispute, nevertheless it is quite different from the so-called “abortion on demand”, which has no ethical medical basis. . . The solution would be to train and legalize abortionists, who would not be physicians, to perform abortion on demand, a procedure that has nothing to do with the ethical practice of medicine..

Halliday R. (Correspondence) Therapeutic abortion. Can Med Assoc J. 1975 August 23;113(4):276-278.