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MPs to Debate Decriminalisation of Abortion as Landmark Amendments Are Put Forward

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Labour MPs Tonia Antoniazzi and Stella Creasy have tabled rival amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill, which, if passed, would effectively decriminalise abortion in England and Wales. This move comes as the number of abortions reported in England and Wales has reached its highest level since records began, with 252,122 procedures reported in 2022. The debate is sparked by concerns over the treatment of women who end their pregnancies outside of the rules, with six women charged in the past three years and two high-profile cases of women being prosecuted for having abortions.

Key Takeaways:

  • Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi's amendment would remove the threat of investigation, arrest, prosecution, or imprisonment for women who end their own pregnancies.
  • The amendment is supported by 176 MPs, abortion providers, including MSI Reproductive Choices and the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (Bpas), and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG).
  • Stella Creasy's amendment would enshrine abortion access as a human right and prevent women who have terminated their pregnancies from being investigated.
  • The amendment is backed by 108 MPs but not by abortion providers.
  • The current law in England and Wales allows abortion up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, after which a foetus is considered 'viable' and abortion is only allowed in certain circumstances, such as to save the life of the mother or to prevent severe injury to the child.
  • The number of abortions reported in England and Wales has reached a record high, with 252,122 procedures reported in 2022.
  • Two high-profile cases of women being prosecuted for having abortions have sparked outrage and renewed calls to change the law.
  • Tonia Antoniazzi's amendment aims to provide protection to women who have ended their pregnancies, while Creasy's amendment goes further to ensure that women can access safe and legal abortions and that those involved in providing these services are protected.

Statistics:

  • 252,122 abortions were reported in England and Wales in 2022, marking the highest number since the figures started being recorded.
  • Six women have appeared in court in England charged with ending or attempting to end their pregnancy outside the rules of abortion law in the past three years.
  • In 2023, a woman was jailed for 14 months for illegally obtaining abortion tablets to end her pregnancy when she was between 32 and 34 weeks pregnant. Her sentence was later reduced to 14 months suspended.

Sources:

  • BBC News: "Abortion: Labour MPs propose new rules to decriminalise procedure"
  • The Guardian: "Abortion decriminalisation: Labour MPs set to debate rival amendments"
  • House of Commons: "Crime and Policing Bill"
  • Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG): "Abortion"
  • British Pregnancy Advisory Service (Bpas): "Abortion"

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