Summary
- In most states and territories in Australia, the life of an unborn child is legally indistinguishable from that of the mother
- Laws in Victoria only allow for a charge of “serious injury to the mother” when harm is done to an unborn child
- Some states like NSW and Queensland have passed laws recognizing unborn children as legal persons with separate criminal charges and penalties
- There is a call for change across all states and territories in Australia to recognize the legal personhood of unborn children