Canada. Report of the Committee on the Operation of the Abortion Law, (Ottawa: Ministry of Supplies and Services, 1977) (Chair: Robin Badgley)

Canada. Report of the Committee on the Operation of the Abortion Law, (Ottawa: Ministry of Supplies and Services, 1977) (Chair: Robin Badgley)*

The Report of the Committee on the Operation of the Abortion Law (1977), commonly known as the “Badgley Report” in honour of its Chair, Robin F. Badgley, was commissioned by the Government of Canada. This report showed, among other things, that the criminal abortion law operated inequitably across Canada.It provided a factual basis which was instrumental in the Supreme Court’s finding of a violation of the right to the security of the person in the 1998 Morgentaler Decision. 

Entire document [480-page PDF]: Chapters 1-9 / Chapter 10 to end

Table of Contents 

Page
Letter of Transmittalv

PART I: Terms and Overview [PDF]

 
Chapters 1-3 
1. WORK OF THE COMMITTEE3
2. ABORTION IN CANADA17
3. TERMS OF REFERENCE AND SUMMARY OF FINDINGS27
  

PART II: Findings

 
4. INDUCED ABORTION: CLASSIFICATION AND NUMBER [PDF]43
Demographic Trends44
Classification of Abortions47
lndices and Trends: 1961-197455
Induced, Spontaneous, and Other Abortions58
Illegal Abortions64
Out-of-Country Abortions72
Volume of Induced Abortions80
  
5. PROVINCIAL REQUIREMENTS AND HOSPITAL PRACTICES [PDF]83
Terms of the Abortion Law85
Accredited Hospitals87
Provincial Requirements91
Specialty and Private Hospitals99
Requirements for Federal Hospitals and Services101
Hospital Practices102
Listing of Therapeutic Abortion Committees103
Eligible Hospitals105
  
6. DISTRIBUTION AND AVAILABILITY [PDF]107
Distribution of Eligible Hospitals107
Hospitals with Committees110
Eligible Hospitals without Committees114
Ownership of Hospitals123
Public Knowledge of Induced Abortion128
Physicians Doing Induced Abortions134
Distribution of Accessible Service138
  
7. PATIENT PATHWAYS [PDF]143
Pathway One: Abortion in Canadian Hospitals145
Pathway Two: Community Agencies151
Pathway Three: Student Health Ser158
Pathway Four: To the United States . Pathway Five: Childbirth160
Family Income and Pregnancy Experience163
Alternative Choices175
  
8. PERSONAL EXPERIENCES [PDF]177
Consideration of Abortion178
Illegal Abortion Before 1969180
Illegal Abortion After 1969186
Out of Country Abortion189
Legal Abortion After 1969191
The Personal Side of Care200
  
9. MEDICAL PRACTICE [PDF]205
Profile of Physicians206
Definition of Health207
Medical Indications for Abortion210
Interpretation of Mental Health211
Length of Gestation214
Abortion and the Value of Life218
Appointment to Therapeutic Abortion Committee222
Contraception and Sterilization231
Opinions of the Abortion Law233
  
10. CONSENT [PDF]237
The Requirement of Consent in the Abortion Law237
Hospital Practices and Consent238
Special Provisions for Lower Ages of Consent to Medical Treatment240
The Uniform Act243
Consent and Contract244
  
11. HOSPITAL COMMITTEES [PDF]247
Size and Specialty247
Types of Appointments249
Interpretation of Terms251
Indications for Induced Abortion256
Requirements of Committees258
Reasons for Approval of Abortion Applications265
Hospital Case Studies267
Disposition of Patients' Charts275
Interpretation of Abortion Law277
  
12. HOSPITAL STAFF [PDF]281
Staff Functions282
Staff Recruitment and Work Assignment286
Staff Opinions291
Staff Training295
  
13. ASSOCIATED COMPLICATIONS [PDF]299
Independent Viability301
Methods of Terminating Pregnancy303
Complications of Abortion307
Before-and-After Use of Health Services in Saskatchewan313
Five Year Follow-up in Alberta319
National Trends321
  
14. SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR AND CONTRACEPTION [PDF]325
Definitions of Terms Used327
Sexual Behaviour of Males328
Sexual Behaviour of Females330
Social Meanings of Sex333
Women Who Had Abortions337
Previous Contraceptive Experience341
Discontinuing the Use of Contraception343
Motivation Regarding Pregnancy345
Use of Contraceptive Means347
Previous Abortions354
Sterilization360
Sexual Behaviour and Abortion365
Sources of Information About Contraception367
  
15. COST OF HEALTH SERVICES [PDF]379
Non-Profit Voluntary Associations380
Commercial Abortion Referral Agencies381
Physician Income and Induced Abortion386
Extra-Billing of Medical Fees388
Medical and Hospital Costs of Induced Abortion405
Contraceptive Sales409
Expenditures on Family Planning410
Allocation of Expenditures419
  
Appendices [PDF online] 
Appendix 1: Statistical Notes and Tables423
Appendix 2: References461
Appendix 3: The Abortion Law472
  

*this PDF is a copy of an official work that is published by the Government of Canada and has not been produced in affiliation with, or with the endorsement of the Government of Canada