Why is Scotland the only part of the UK not to decriminalise abortion?

As women’s reproductive rights come under increasing attack from populists, our Writer at Large meets the campaigners demanding that the SNP modernise the law in Scotland

By Neil Mackay
Sep 6, 2026

Lucy Grieve has become one of the leading campaigners for women’s rights in Scotland – and she hasn’t hit 30 yet. She was a student when she set up Back Off Scotland, the campaign that led to the establishment of buffer zones outside abortion clinics to protect women and healthcare staff from religious protesters.

…Today, Grieve is at the heart of the Let’s Change The Act campaign, which aims to modernise and reform Scotland’s abortion laws. Campaigners says the law is outdated and discriminatory.

Continued: https://archive.is/jdJxc
(https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/26525203.scotland-part-uk-not-decriminalise-abortion/)

Liechtenstein’s archaic abortion laws need to be modernised. But a prince is standing in the way

The hurdles for women who have to travel abroad to access abortion are considerable, but Hereditary Prince Alois says he will veto any changes

Gabriella Alvarez-Hummel
Mon 3 Aug 2026

The first person Maria* called when she found out she was pregnant was her doctor. The second person was a lawyer. The single mother of one was in shock, and considering terminating the pregnancy. But she first had to make sure that she wasn’t about to do something illegal, because all she knew was that abortions were forbidden where she lived. “On top of the emotional mountain that was already there, I also had to deal with this,” Maria told me.

She also knew she wouldn’t get any information about abortions in her own country – that’s illegal too. After making her decision, she drove to a clinic across the border. It was a stressful, if short, 45-minute drive, at the end of which another hurdle was waiting: “Oh, you’re from Liechtenstein?” the receptionist said, according to Maria. “Then you have to pay immediately – 680 Swiss francs (£620) please.” She was taken aback and asked: “What if I can’t pay that right now?” The receptionist replied: “Then you’ll have to come back tomorrow.”

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/aug/03/liechtenstein-abortion-law-modernised-prince-alois

03.08.2026

Commentary

abortion in Leichtenstein

Brigitte Haas

decriminalisation of abortion

It’s official: No woman in England or Wales can be prosecuted for an abortion any more

Decriminalisation explained (and no, this does *not* mean 'abortion is now legal up until birth')

By Jennifer Savin
29 April 2026

After years of campaigning, England and Wales have officially decriminalised abortion for women in a “landmark moment” as part of proposed changes to the Crime and Policing Bill.

The government has now formally done away with the ancient Offences Against the Person Act from 1861 and the Infant Life (Preservation) Act of 1929, both of which saw women and girls open to arrest, investigation or prosecution in relation to procuring an abortion for themselves. Recent years have seen a worrying increase in criminal cases, after minimal incidences for decades, as more anti-abortion groups receive funding in the UK.

Continued: https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/reports/a71163004/england-wales-decriminalise-abortion/

Misleading headlines claim UK legalised abortion until birth

Misleading headlines claim UK legalised abortion until birth

By Leticia Batista Cabanas
27/03/2026

A network of online European outlets and social media posts are claiming that the United Kingdom will now allow abortion up until the moment of birth, based on a confusion of the terms “decriminalisation” and “legalisation”.

On the 18th of March, the British Parliament’s upper house, known as the House of Lords, voted to end the criminalisation of women who terminate their pregnancies up until the moment of birth.

Shortly after the vote, news of Britain “allowing abortion until birth” went viral: misleading interpretations were quickly picked up by fringe media outlets across Spain, Italy, France and Portugal.

Continued: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/03/27/misleading-headlines-claim-uk-legalised-abortion-until-birth

27.03.2026

Commentary

1861 Offences against the Person Act

decriminalisation of abortion

UK – Abortion decriminalisation – A significant step forward for women’s reproductive rights

Royal College of Nursing
Michael Nevill
23 Mar 2026

On the 18 March 2026, around midnight, the House of Lords voted on several key amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill that directly affect how abortion is legally framed in England and Wales.

This progress strongly aligns with the position of the RCN: that abortion care is healthcare, and women and clinicians must be supported and not criminalised, for making safe, evidence based decisions.

Continued: https://www.rcn.org.uk/news-and-events/Blogs/abortion-decriminalisation-230326

23.03.2026

Commentary

Clause 208

Crime and Policing bill

decriminalisation of abortion

Michael Nevill

Royal College of Nursing

Northern Ireland – Schoolgirl traumatised after being wrongly sent to England for abortion

March 15, 2026
Lyndsey Telford, BBC News NI

A schoolgirl who was wrongly sent from Northern Ireland to England for a termination was traumatised by the ordeal, her mother has said.

She said the 18-year-old was forced to wait for a flight home after the procedure while bleeding and cramping.

The teenager was 18 weeks pregnant and could have been treated in Northern Ireland, but was sent to London due to confusion by the booking provider over the services available.

Continued: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp32kwe2280o

15.03.2026

News

Alliance for Choice

British Pregnancy Advisory Service

decriminalisation of abortion

Emma Campbell

Heidi Stewart

Nuala McAllister

traveling to England for abortion

UK – Decriminalising abortion: how could the House of Lords amend the legislation?

After MPs voted last year to change the law in England and Wales, members of the Lords will now put forward proposed amendments

Hannah Al-Othman
Sun 15 Mar 2026

MPs voted last year to end the criminalisation of women who terminate pregnancies outside the legal framework. It was hailed as the biggest step forward for reproductive rights in England and Wales in six decades.

On Wednesday evening, abortion law will again come under the parliamentary spotlight when members of the House of Lords put forward their proposed amendments to the legislation.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/15/decriminalising-abortion-england-wales-lords-amendments

15.03.2026

News

abortion law reform

Centre for Women’s Justice

Crime and Policing bill

decriminalisation of abortion

Nepal – Rights activists urge full decriminalisation of abortion

By Ram Kumar Kamat
Feb 16, 2026

KATHMANDU – Shradha Adhikari, who is a nurse with Sunaulo Parivar Nepal clinic in Kathmandu that provides reproductive health services, including safe abortion, feels pride for having an opportunity to providing safe abortion services to women and girls who would otherwise have opted for unsafe practices leading to risk of her life.

She, however, lives in constant fear of facing criminal cases for providing abortion service. Some of my friends, who have provided safe abortion services, have been asked to report to police or record their statement in the court and I always fear that I might face the same situation, Adhikari added.

Continued: https://thehimalayantimes.com/ampArticle/1036749

UK – Abortion is close to decriminalisation. But how quickly can rights and progress be rolled back?

More than 100 women are believed to have been arrested on suspicion of illegal abortion over the last five years in England and Wales, but a new law will offer greater protections. The Big Issue asks experts if rights could still be under threat

Isabella McRae
13 Oct 2025

Women have been prosecuted for having an abortion for centuries. Even in recent years, in this country, women suspected of an illegal abortion have been arrested straight from the hospital ward, their homes searched and their children taken away. But a new law set to be passed in England and Wales means that abortion is a step closer to decriminalisation.

Abortion was legalised in 1967, meaning women can have an abortion up to 23 weeks and six days of a pregnancy, provided two doctors agree it meets certain criteria. The laws which are currently used to prosecute women in England were created in the Victorian era.

Continued: https://www.bigissue.com/news/social-justice/abortion-decriminalisation-womens-rights-uk/

What is the state of abortion rights across the EU?

Despite 15 countries having taken steps forward since 2021, only five EU countries have fully decriminalised abortion.

By Inês Trindade Pereira & Mert Can Yilmaz, Euronews
Oct 10, 2025

Sweden (94.6%), France (85.2%), and the Netherlands (80.3%) rank best in the European Union for abortion rights, according to the European Abortion Policies Atlas 2025.

The scores awarded to these countries relate to their strong legal protections that fully decriminalise abortion, wide service availability, national health coverage, government-led online information and countering misinformation.

By contrast, Malta, at 3.7%, and Poland, at 18.6%, remain at the bottom of the ranking, with abortion largely criminalised with strict penalties, and access to clinical care restricted.

Continued: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/10/06/what-is-the-state-of-abortion-rights-across-the-eu

06.10.2025