MPs Vote to Decriminalise Women Ending Pregnancies England, Wales

MPs in the UK have voted in favor of decriminalizing women terminating their own pregnancies, a measure led by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi as an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill. The amendment aims to remove the threat of investigation, arrest, prosecution, or imprisonment for women acting in relation to their own pregnancy, while maintaining the current 24-week abortion limit and the requirement for approval by two doctors. This change comes amid recent prosecutions of women for abortion-related offenses under the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act, despite the 1967 Abortion Act allowing abortions under certain conditions. The reform is intended to address the “cruelty” of criminalizing vulnerable women and follows calls for repealing outdated laws, with backing from 180 MPs and medical organizations. Cases such as Nicola Packer's, who was acquitted after taking abortion medication beyond the legal limit during the COVID-19 pandemic, have fueled public debate. Opponents like the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children criticize the amendment, but supporters emphasize the need for compassion and the removal of women from the criminal justice system.