Mps Set To Vote On Decriminalising Abortion In England And Wales

1 month ago

Brian Wheeler

Political reporter

Women would nary longer beryllium prosecuted for terminating a gestation successful England and Wales nether a projected shake-up of abortion laws.

MPs are group to get a free ballot adjacent week - meaning they will not beryllium told really to ballot by their statement - connected a alteration to nan law.

It comes amid interest much women are being investigated by constabulary connected suspicion of illegally ending a pregnancy.

Abortion is forbidden successful England and Wales, astir often prosecuted nether a portion of Victorian legislation, nan Offences Against nan Person Act of 1861. But it is allowed up to 24 weeks and successful definite different circumstances nether nan position of nan 1967 Abortion Act.

This requires 2 doctors to motion it disconnected and moreover earlier 24 weeks tin require a female to attest that her intelligence aliases beingness wellness is astatine risk.

An amendment to nan Crime and Policing Bill, tabled by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, intends to decriminalise abortion astatine immoderate shape by a female acting successful narration to her ain pregnancy, ending nan threat of investigation aliases imprisonment.

The model by which abortion is accessed would stay nan same.

But abortions would only request to beryllium signed disconnected by 2 doctors - arsenic nan rule presently demands - if nan process takes spot successful a infirmary aliases different healthcare setting.

Time limits would besides still use successful healthcare settings.

"The constabulary cannot beryllium trusted pinch abortion rule – nor tin nan CPS aliases nan wider criminal justness system," Antoniazzi said.

"My amendment to nan crime and policing measure will springiness america nan urgent alteration we request to protect women."

Six women person appeared successful tribunal successful England charged pinch ending aliases attempting to extremity their ain gestation extracurricular abortion law, successful nan past 3 years.

Last month, Nicola Packer, 45, was cleared by a assemblage of "unlawfully administering" herself pinch abortion pills astatine location during a coronavirus lockdown successful 2020.

She had taken prescribed abortion medicine erstwhile she was astir 26 weeks pregnant, beyond nan ineligible limit of 10 weeks for taking specified medicine astatine home. She told jurors she did not realise she had been pregnant for much than 10 weeks.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) said Ms Packer's proceedings demonstrated "just really outdated and harmful" existent abortion rule was and called for reform.

The RCOG are among respective royal aesculapian colleges, charities and waste and acquisition unions backing Antoniazzi's amendment, which has been signed by 136 MPs truthful far, including Labour MPs, Lib Dems, Greens and a fistful of Conservatives.

A rival amendment by Labour MP Stella Creasey, which would make accessing an abortion a quality right, is backed by 101 MPs truthful far.

It seeks to decriminalise abortion up to 24 weeks, negating elements of nan Abortion Act. It would besides guarantee that late-term abortions extracurricular nan Abortion Act did not consequence successful situation sentences.

Creasy said her amendment would simply bring nan remainder of nan UK into statement pinch Northern Ireland, wherever abortion was decriminalised successful 2019.

But immoderate of Britain's biggest abortion attraction providers person expressed interest astir it being rushed done without due scrutiny, saying it would efficaciously rip up nan 1967 Abortion Act and could unfastened nan doorway to a full statement astir a woman's correct to an abortion.

Rachael Clarke, caput of defense astatine nan British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), warned that MPs should not beryllium asked to backmost a "generational change" aft conscionable 3 hours of statement adjacent week.

"For us, unfortunately, though we genuinely judge that we request overwhelming and generational alteration for abortion law, Stella Creasy's amendment is not nan correct measurement to do it," she told Radio 4's Today programme.

BPAS is among nan organisations backing Antoniazzi's proposals.

The Society for nan Protection of Unborn Children said some of nan projected amendments correspond "the top threat to unborn children and their mothers since nan Abortion Act".

They urged supporters to lobby their MPs to ballot against some proposals, informing that abortion "up to birth" could go imaginable nether nan changes.

MPs are apt to beryllium offered a ballot connected 1 of nan 2 amendments, pinch Labour, nan Lib Dems and nan Conservatives each saying their MPs will not beryllium told to ballot for aliases against nan changes.

The premier minister's charismatic spokesperson said: "It is important that women person entree to safe and ineligible abortions connected nan NHS and this now includes taking abortion pills astatine home.

"This is an highly delicate rumor and we recognise location are powerfully held views connected each sides of nan chat and by longstanding normal immoderate alteration to nan rule successful this area would beryllium a matter of conscience for individual MPs alternatively than nan government."

The spokesperson declined to opportunity which measurement Sir Keir Starmer would ballot connected nan issue, arsenic it was a "matter of conscience".

The 1967 Abortion Act initially allowed abortions to return spot up to 28 weeks successful England and Wales. This was reduced to 24 weeks successful 1990.

Abortions aft 24 weeks are allowed only if: