15-Defense of Others and Defenseless Others .pdf (original) (raw)

The paper discusses the implications of laws such as the Unborn Victims of Violence Act (UVVA) in the context of moral and legal considerations regarding pregnant women and their unborn children. It critiques the idea of equal moral worth between mothers and their fetuses, arguing that such laws compromise the neutrality required in liberal legal frameworks, particularly concerning abortion rights. By analyzing the treatment of unborn children under criminal law, the paper highlights conflicts inherent in simultaneously recognizing the personhood of fetuses while allowing women the right to make decisions about their own bodies.