Pro-life advocate Professor Joanna Howe says she has been the target of death threats

A controversial pro-life advocate has revealed she has been the target of death threats and is now calling on upper house president Terry Stephens to make public a citizen’s reply.

Pro-life advocate Professor Joanna Howe has revealed she has been targeted with death threats after she was banned from parts of state parliament.

Dr Howe has reported the threats to the police and is now calling on upper house president Terry Stephens to make public a citizen’s reply she has authored in response to the ban.

Late last month, Mr Stephens imposed the ban over claims that Dr Howe had insulted, threatened and intimidated MPs before a vote on controversial abortion reforms.

He said members must feel safe and have the confidence to do their job “without interference, intimidation or undue influence from visitors”.

Pro-life advocate Joanna Howe has revealed she has been targeted with death threats after she was banned from parts of state parliament. Picture Dean Martin

“I have decided that Dr Howe behaved in a manner that did not afford members that right and risked compromising the effective function of the chamber,” he said.

The following week, Dr Howe sent Mr Stephens a citizen’s reply that responded to four key allegations.

She said the assertion that she had yelled at Liberal MLC Dennis Hood during the debate was “patently false” and that there were no insults or intimidating tactics used.

Dr Howe, a law professor at the University of Adelaide, also said she “strongly refutes” the allegation that she had attempted to improperly influence members of parliament.

She said the decision to ban her demonstrated an “appalling lack of procedural and substantive fairness”.

“I was not provided with this decision in writing or any avenue for appeal,” she said.

“I was also not provided with an expiration date on the ban which thus leaves one to assume it is interminable.”

The ban barred Dr Howe from upper house galleries, as well as corridors and other shared areas around the chamber.

More than 26,000 people have signed a petition started by Dr Howe for the ban to be lifted.

The allegations against her arose from a fiery debate in the upper house about a bill introduced to parliament by Liberal MLC Ben Hood.

The bill, which would have required women seeking abortions after 28 weeks to deliver their babies alive, was ultimately defeated – but Dr Howe said she has since been subjected to “death threats and vicious personal attacks”. The death threats were made by mail.

Last parliamentary sitting week, six MPs used a standing order to ask Mr Hood questions about the bill – but he did not respond.

Dr Howe is now calling on Mr Stephens to read her citizen’s reply into the parliamentary hansard, claiming her role and reputation has been “substantially damaged” by the allegations. Mr Stephens has been contacted for comment.

Originally published as Pro-life advocate Professor Joanna Howe says she has been the target of death threats