A long-overdue update on the dynamics of abortion politics in Canada, After Morgentaler explores the role of both state and non-state actors in the creation and maintenance of access to abortion services following the 1988 Morgentaler decision.
Description
The landmark decision R. v. Morgentaler (1988) struck down Canada’s abortion law and is widely believed to have established a right to abortion, but its actual impact is much less decisive. In After Morgentaler, Rachael Johnstone examines the state of abortion access in Canada today and argues that substantive access is essential to full citizenship for women. Using case studies, Johnstone assesses the role of both state and non-state actors in shaping access. This book affirms the need to recognize abortion as an issue fundamentally tied to women’s equality, while stressing the utility of rights claims to improve access.
Reviews
"After Morgentaler provides a nuanced examination of the legislative and judicial actions that shaped access to abortion in Canada in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries."
"After Morgentaler is an important and compelling contribution to Canadian abortion scholarship."
- Katrina Ackerman