Attacks on Abortion Providers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Attacks on Abortion Providers - Essay Example That is, violence already resides within the very nature of relationship between the oppressor, and the oppressed. The truth needs to be evaluated and understood the necessity of violent uproar against such practices. This paper is an attempt to understand the differences and similarities between abolition and abortion concerning the attacks on slavery by John Brown and the attacks on abortion clinics in recent times. Abortion is a heated topic pitting pro-life and pro-choice advocates against each other. It may be defined as â€Å"the loss of a pregnancy before the fetus or fetuses are potentially capable of life independent of mother† (Potts, Diggory & Peel, 1977). The US constitution guarantees a right of privacy that includes a women’s right to have an abortion during the first thirteen weeks of pregnancy, and later to safeguard the woman’s life or health. The laws regarding a woman’s right for abortion varies in different regions, most specifically in Islamic countries where it is strictly prohibited. If we look at it from a religious perspective, then it becomes clear that it has been compared to commit a murder. The rate of conducting abortions has been constantly increasing in western and Islamic nations alike. For example, in USA, a total of 1.2 million abortions was performed in 2003, and about one-third of the total abortions were performed for women aged 20 to 24 (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2009). This has given birth to an un-ending argument between social and political sectors of society, over the legality of this act, and the un-holy attribute attached to this practice. This debate has yet to be resolved, but has paved a way for a newer form of terrorist activities that is known anti-abortion violence movement. The abortion controversy has been fraught with violence. Anti-abortion violence is violence committed against

Discuss the arguments for and against the use of Closed Material Term Paper

Discuss the arguments for and against the use of Closed Material Procedures (CMP) in national security matters - Term Paper Example Thus, courts in many cases, have to deny access of specific documents or information to individuals, from the point of view of public interest. Though such measures have been introduced with the primary objective of safeguarding public interest, the issue of CMP has become a controversial topic due to its far-reaching implication of the criminal justice system as a whole. In normal court proceedings, individuals and their legal representatives are allowed to be present and examine all the documents that are allowed as evidences in a case during the trial and such proceedings are known as open procedure. However, in cases where the examination of any documents by individuals is considered as a breach of national security, individuals are not allowed to examine the relevant document and such materials are known as â€Å"closed† materials.3 However, a government appointed lawyer, who represents the individual, or Special Advocate, will be allowed to â€Å"attend all parts ofâ₠¬  the proceedings and extended access to all the documents examined during the trial.4 This is to ensure that the government preserves a â€Å"strong and independent judiciary† to protect the rights and freedom of its citizens.5 On the other hand, the government has a primary responsibility for protecting national security to guarantee the safety and security of the citizens. Thus, it becomes significant that the government strikes a balance between the protection of national security and safeguarding the rights and freedom of individuals. The debate regarding CMPs, thus, focuses its attention on protecting the national security without injuring or compromising the concepts of the freedom of individuals and facilitating them a fair trial. One of the main arguments against CMPs is that the system of suppressing material is â€Å"inherently unfair† and that a hearing that disallows individuals from being present or examining the documents â€Å"undermines the credibil ity† of the legal system.6 The opponents of CMPs further argue that the system of allowing the prosecution, usually represented by the government, to â€Å"present its case† without extending the defence an opportunity of â€Å"public scrutiny† is against the principles of justice.7 They also contend that apart from the inherent risks associated with CMP, it considerably reduces the â€Å"degree of judicial and Ministerial scrutiny† of how the cases are tried and this can have a detrimental effect on â€Å"transparency and accountability† of justice system as well as compromise its â€Å"credibility.†8 Thus, the main argument against CMPs relies on the premise that this practice undermines the concept of fair trial to individuals as in this system they are not allowed to examine all the documents that the prosecution relies on for the purpose of proving their case. It is needless to mention that when a defendant is disallowed the opportunity of viewing a prosecution document, it necessarily pre-empts him or her from properly preparing his or her defence. Thus, this procedure, to a