In the country of Utopia, part of a relatively new, promulgated, law (already applied by the courts in several cases) reads:

Question

In the country of Utopia, part of a relatively new, promulgated, law (already applied by the courts in several cases) reads:

‘§2Every pregnant woman may decide to have an abortion, during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, after consulting with a medical doctor and obtaining counselling on the matter from a qualified psychiatrist.

§3 This law does not apply retroactively to cases which existed before its promulgation.’

Accept that this law defines ‘medical doctor’, ‘counselling’ and ‘qualified psychiatrist’. Critically discuss, in an additional paragraph of 100-150 words whether your answer would differ if you applied the natural law theory of William Idowu to the legislation.

Answer 1

If one were to apply the natural law theory of William Idowu to the legislation in Utopia, the focus would shift from the legal aspect to the moral aspect of abortion. According to natural law theory, there are inherent moral laws that are universal and unchanging, and these laws can be discovered through reason and conscience. In this case, the question would be whether abortion is morally permissible within the framework of natural law. Idowu may argue that abortion goes against the natural law principle of the sanctity of life, as it involves the deliberate taking of a human life. Therefore, he may critique the legislation in Utopia for not fully considering the moral implications of abortion. This perspective would likely lead to a different interpretation and critique of the law compared to a purely legal analysis.