Legislation Would Give Preborn Children Legal Representation in Court
Texas | April 9, 2021
A bill making its way through the Texas House would provide representation to preborn children when a minor seeking abortion goes to court to receive a judicial bypass. It is illegal for minors in Texas to undergo an abortion without parental consent; to do so, they must persuade a judge that they are mature and educated enough to make the decision on their own, or that it could be dangerous for their parents to know. House Bill 1171 would give preborn children a voice during those hearings.
Under the bill, the court could appoint “an attorney ad litem or guardian ad litem to represent an unborn child during a court proceeding authorizing a pregnant minor to consent to an abortion.” It is one of a recent slate of bills to further protection for the preborn in the already largely pro-life state.
Rebecca Parma, legislative associate for Texas Right to Life, said it’s important for preborn children to have representation. “They don’t have a voice yet, and so their interest needs to be represented by someone who has a voice,” she told Spectrum News. “If the pregnant minor is going to have an attorney ad litem, which should help represent her best interests, the unborn child needs to have that voice, as well, representing his or her best interests.”…
(Excerpts from LIVEACTION)