Huon independent MLC Paul Harriss was voted chairman of the inquiry last night, despite a competing nomination from standing committee chairman, Murchison independent MLC Ruth Forrest.

Mr Harriss moved for the Reproductive Health Bill to be sent to a public committee on Wednesday, citing concerns about conflicting reports of its legal and medical ramifications.

He said he voted for the exemption clauses that exist in the Criminal Code in 2001 but has not yet made up his mind about decriminalisation.

"We are talking about this notion of terminating a human life," Mr Harriss said.

"If it's done illegally, then maybe it is something that ought to be accountable under the criminal law."

The proposed law will decriminalise abortion, removing all barriers to early-term abortions but requiring two doctors to approve the termination of a pregnancy past 16 weeks' gestation on medical or psychological grounds.

Mr Harriss said the committee would focus on the legislation not the wider issue of abortion, saying "that debate is well in the past."

University of Tasmania political expert Richard Ecclestone said it was appropriate to send legislation to committee to iron out legal concerns, but the Legislative Council had a recent history of using the committee process to fatally wound or drastically change legislation.

Fellow University of Tasmania academic and columnist for The Examiner Tony McCall said the committee was the inevitable result of poor political management, but did not necessarily mean the reforms were lost.

Dr McCall said the fact the government had left Health Minister Michelle O'Byrne to privately sponsor legislation on such a complex and ethically challenging topic, and brought on debate soon after the public consultation period closed, invited scrutiny.