Health (Patient Privacy) Amendment Act 2015

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Health (Patient Privacy) Amendment Act 2015
Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
  • An Act to amend the Health Act 1993
CitationA2015-43
Passed29 October 2015
Assented to4 November 2015
Introduced by Shane Rattenbury MLA, Attorney-General
Introduced17 September 2015
Status: Current legislation

The Health (Patient Privacy) Amendment Act 2015 is an act of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly relating to the legal protection of access to abortion. [1]

Contents

Provisions

The act amended the Health Act 1993. [2]

Unlike other legislation relating to safe access zones in Australia, the provisions under the ACT legislation only apply during specific periods: between 7am and 6pm on days the facility is open, with the Minister able to designate other times. [3]

Unlike other jurisdictions in Australia, safe access zones in the ACT are of radius 50 metres rather than 150 metres. [4]

Shane Rattenbury described the legislation as being about medical privacy rather than restricting protest. [5]

Reception

The leader of the opposition, Jeremy Hanson, raised concerns about restrictions on free speech. [5]

References

  1. ↑ Sifris, Ronli (30 November 2015). "State by state, 'safe access zones' around clinics are shielding women from abortion protesters". The Conversation. Archived from the original on 6 December 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  2. ↑ Ottley, Emily (6 September 2022). "Fixed Buffer Zone Legislation: A Proportionate Response to Demonstrations Outside Abortion Clinics in England and Wales?". Medical Law Review. 30 (3): 509–533. doi:10.1093/medlaw/fwac019. ISSN   0967-0742. PMC   9447846 . PMID   35748349.
  3. ↑ Landrigan, Mitchell (1 March 2016). "Protests outside Abortion Clinics: Constitutionally Protected Speech?". Alternative Law Journal. 41 (1): 8–12. doi:10.1177/1037969X1604100103. ISSN   1037-969X.
  4. ↑ King, Allie Daisy (8 November 2024). "A guide to abortion laws in Australia: State-by-state breakdown". Missing Perspectives . Archived from the original on 18 March 2025. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
  5. 1 2 Cornish, Ruby (29 October 2015). "Canberra abortion clinics to get protest-free 'privacy zones' as laws pass ACT Legislative Assembly". ABC News. Archived from the original on 30 October 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
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