Further, we demand that the Council forward a recommendation to the Federal

that the Council consider it their duty, “asian emergency. meaSure, to

Vancouver Women's Caucus
PRESS RELEASE

Not to be released until 9AM, Friday, April 10

AS part of the national campaign to répeak the abortion laws, members
of Vancouver Women's Caucus are attending the Friday, April 10, meeting of
of the Council of the College of Physicians and Surgeons. The meetings are
held once every two months at 1807 W. 10th, beginning at 9 AM. Women's
Caucus members will be demonstrating outside the building from 8 AM on and
we are demanding a half hour during the day-long meeting to present a
brief to the Council on abortion. Copies of the brief are available. |

Women's Caucus will be attending the meeting uninvited since our
request for a meeting with the Council has been refused, The Council,
in their refusal, said that we should appeal to the legal authorities,

We have, of course, done just that in recent encounters with Provincial
Health Minister Loffmark and with Trudeau,

Loffmark and Trudeau both referred us to the appropriate medical
bodies,

We want to Speak to the Council of the College of Physicians and
Surgeons because;

(1) They are the body in charge of licensing all medical practicioners

in British Columbia; they are therefore a Semin judicial body
Since they can take away such licenses,

(2) They set medical standards through such things as the medical
code of ethics, For example, abortion practices were, until ©
recently ,: Spelled out: explicitly and: conservatively in the
code,

(3) They are charged under the Medical Act with protecting the
public,

Women's Caucus is demanding that the Council recommend to Provincial

Health Minister Loffmark that he approve clinics and out-patient facilities
for abortion as he is empowered to do under Section 237 of the Criminal Code,

Government that abortion be removed from the Criminal Code entirely. In
addition we want them to require that all doctors be taught, as a regular
part of the Medical School curriculum, abortion techniques and we: demand

instruct doctors to give the present law the widest possibly interpretation
and to take all reasonable cases before the aoe acn boards of presently
accredited or approved hospitais,

Por more information contact Betsy Meadly ee ox Marcy
Cohen J

Vancouver Women's Caucus
Rm 6, 307 W. Broadway
879-9722