Policing the Womb

Abstract

This paper studies intersections of mothering and the freedom to mother, by making certain juxtapositions to seemingly well established claims. In particular, the paper is concerned about the ways in which socialnorms and forms of essentialism frame political (legislative), economic, and cultural perceptions about who the "right" mothers are and what we owe them. Equally then, it seeks to unpack what privileges we give tothe "right" mothers and what we take away from the "wrong" mothers. But more, the paper critiques what rights (and/or interests)-if any-that children have to be born a certain way. In otherwords, free from disabilities, prenatal exposure to alcohol and harmful drugs (legal or illegal). The paper examines what tort and criminal law offers for such a critique