22 JULY 1989, Page 24

Rights and prejudices

Sir: The emergence of Charter 88 has revived discussion of a Bill of Rights as though its contents would be self-evident. Yet there are two rights that each have fervent advocates: the right to life of unborn humans; and the right of a preg- nant woman to have an abortion. Which right, I wonder, would Charter 88's Bill enshrine? To include both would be a contradiction; to include neither would be an evasion. I suspect that any Bill of Rights would simply comprise the prejudices that predominated when it was introduced.

J. Alan Smith

Editor, Prag, 40 Albany Court, Epping, Essex