OTTAWA, ON – Motion 312 was defeated in the House of Commons today by a vote of 203 to 91. This motion, proposed by MP Stephen Woodworth, would have seen Parliament appoint a 12-member committee to study the legal definition of when a child becomes a human being. The Criminal Code currently considers a child a human being only after it has emerged alive from the mother’s womb.
“Although the Motion was defeated, it was very encouraging to see the subject brought forward, as well as the groundswell of support through meetings with MPs, e-mails, letters, phone calls and petitions,” said Joanne McGarry, executive director of the Catholic Civil Rights League, which supported the motion through press interviews, messages to MPs and to its membership. “We thank Mr. Woodworth for proposing the motion, and all those MPs who supported itand thereby kept respect for life on Canada’s agenda.
“This particular motion has been defeated, but the debate on this issue, which many Canadians believe is anything but ‘settled,’ will continue until Canadian law recognizes the humanity of the unborn.”
About CCRL
Catholic Civil Rights League (www.ccrl.ca) assists in creating conditions within which Catholic teachings can be better understood, cooperates with other organizations in defending civil rights in Canada, and opposes defamation and discrimination against Catholics on the basis of their beliefs. CCRL was founded in 1985 as an independent lay organization and has chapters across Canada. The Catholic Civil Rights League is a Canadian non-profit organization entirely supported by the generosity of its members.
