JAMAICA-ABORTION-TBs-CCPR

Concluding Observations on Report 4 (2016) (Link)

Voluntary termination of pregnancy

25. The Committee is concerned at the high levels of maternal mortality resulting from unsafe abortions and the lack of official data on the number of clandestine abortions and their linkage to high maternal mortality. It reiterates its concern at the general criminalization of abortion in the Offences against the Person Act (see CCPR/C/JAMCO/3, para. 14), including in cases of pregnancies resulting from rape, incest and fatal fetal abnormality. The Committee is also concerned about the lack of access by girls below the age of 16 years to sexual and reproductive health information and services without parental consent, especially in the light of the high incidence of adolescent pregnancy and incest in the State party (arts. 3, 6, 7 and 17).

26. The State party should, as a matter of priority, amend its abortion legislation to help women address unplanned pregnancies and not resort to illegal abortions that could put their lives at risk. It should take measures to protect women against the health risks associated with unsafe abortions by improving its monitoring and data collection on women’s access to health care and by enabling access to sexual and reproductive health information and services to all women, including girls under the age of 16.

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Concluding Observations on Report 3 (2011) (Link)

14. The Committee is concerned at the prohibition of abortion, which compels pregnant women to seek clandestine and harmful abortion services. The Committee is further concerned at reports of high rates of teenage pregnancies in the State party, where it is reported that 20 per cent of all pregnancies in the State party occur among teenage girls (arts. 6 and 17).

The State party should amend its abortion laws to help women avoid unwanted pregnancies and not to resort to illegal abortions that could put their lives at risk. The State party should take concrete measures in this regard, including a review of its laws in line with the Covenant. Furthermore, the State party should ensure that reproductive health services are available and accessible to all women and girls.

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Concluding Observations on Report 2 (1997) (Link)

[no mention]

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Concluding Observations on Report 1 (1981) (Link)

259. … Information was sought on whether, in Jamaica, a woman could voluntarily terminate her pregnancy and if so, in what circumstances

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