UK – ‘Unprecedented’ rise in abortion prosecutions prompts call for law change from medical leaders

Statement from groups including BMA and royal colleges says current law is causing ‘trauma and cruelty’

Shanti Das, The Guardian
Sun 12 Jan 2025

Medical leaders are calling for reform of abortion laws in England and Wales after an “unprecedented” rise in women and girls being prosecuted for ending their own pregnancies.

More than 30 groups – including the British Medical Association, the Faculty of Public Health, the British Society of Abortion Care Providers and the royal colleges of GPs, nurses, psychiatrists, midwives and anaesthetists – issued a joint statement warning that the current legislation is causing “trauma and cruelty” and demanding “immediate action” to safeguard reproductive rights.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jan/12/unprecedented-rise-in-abortion-prosecutions-prompts-call-for-law-change-from-medical-leaders

12.01.2025

News

1967 Abortion Act

Bethany Cox

British Medical Association

British Society of Abortion Care Providers

Carla Foster

criminalisation of abortion

Faculty of Public Health

Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health

Offences Against the Person Act

prosecuting women for abortion

RCOG

Royal College of General Practitioners

Royal College of Nursing

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

telemedicine abortion

Women’s Aid and Liberty

UK – Safe zones outside abortion clinics come into effect

It will be a criminal offence to intentionally or recklessly obstruct anyone from accessing abortion services immediately outside of clinics.

Serena Barker-Singh, Sky News
Thursday 31 October 2024

From today, "safe access zones" will be introduced to create a 150m-wide area outside clinics to stop anti-abortion campaigners from handing out leaflets, holding vigils and showing graphic images to women near the sites.

The protection areas will be introduced outside all abortion clinics in England and Wales to ensure women seeking abortion services will be better protected from harassment or distress.

Continued: https://news.sky.com/story/safe-zones-outside-abortion-clinics-come-into-effect-13245090

UK – Buffer zones set to come in around abortion clinics

Sept 18, 2024
Kate Whannel, BBC

Buffer zones will come into force around abortion clinics in England and Wales from 31 October.

It will make it illegal to hand out anti-abortion leaflets within the buffer zone or obstruct anyone using or working at an abortion clinic.

The protection zones, which will prohibit protest, will extend to a 150-metre radius around abortion services and those convicted of breaking the new law will face an unlimited fine.

Continued: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62m4g2drgdo

UK – The battle for abortion buffer zones

A 2023 law banning protests around clinics remains unenforced amid dispute over 'silent prayer'

By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK
Aug 20, 2024

In the UK, protests outside clinics or hospitals that perform abortions are, theoretically, banned within a 150-metre "buffer zone". But the legislation has yet to be enforced in England and Wales, and draft guidance published by the last government controversially made allowances for silent prayer within the so-called "safe access zones".

Now, the Home Office is considering reviewing the guidance, reported The Daily Telegraph. Ministers will also review a provision which allows for "consensual" communication with those entering or leaving the premises, which protesters have "interpreted" as permission to hand out leaflets or talk to patients. Abortion rights activists and healthcare providers hope the review will result in both activities being banned as part of Labour's commitment to finally enforce the buffer zones.

Continued: https://theweek.com/health/the-battle-for-abortion-buffer-zones

MPs vote to continue abortion ‘pills by post’ scheme in England

Government will be forced to abandon its plan to end a two-year trial of the scheme in August

Denis Campbell Health policy editor
Wed 30 Mar 2022

Women in England will be able to access a “pills by post” abortion service indefinitely after MPs voted today to compel ministers to make it permanent instead of scrapping the scheme in September.

The decision will benefit tens of thousands of women every year who want to take the two tablets needed to end a pregnancy in the privacy of their own home rather than having to take the first at a clinic or hospital. They have to be taken within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/30/mps-vote-to-continue-abortion-pills-by-post-scheme-in-england

UK – At-home abortion care to continue after being introduced in lockdown

Several MPs spoke passionately about their experiences of family members having to go to clinics for early abortions.

Alix Culbertson, Political reporter
Wednesday 30 March 2022

MPs have voted to allow women in England to continue to access abortion care at home after it was introduced during the pandemic.

Before the pandemic, women were required to attend a clinic in-person to access abortion pills, but during the first lockdown in March 2020 women have been able to receive the pills by post following a phone or video consultation.

Continued: https://news.sky.com/story/mps-vote-to-continue-at-home-abortion-care-introduced-in-lockdown-12578383

UK – Coronavirus: Abortion law changes ruled out by health secretary Matt Hancock

Coronavirus: Abortion law changes ruled out by health secretary Matt Hancock

George Martin, Yahoo News UK
Mar. 24, 2020

Abortion rules will not be changed as part of the response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the health secretary has announced, after the government published and then deleted changes to the law.

Matt Hancock was pressed by MPs after the Department of Health said it would allow women and girls to take abortion pills at home, without the need to attend a clinic or hospital, and for doctors to prescribe from their own homes.

Continued: https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/coronavirus-abortion-rules-lockdown-covid-143825696.html

24.03.2020

Featured

News

Abortion Act 1967

abortion pill at home

coronavirus

Covid-19 and abortion

UK – My abortion politicised me, says WEP leader Mandu Reid

My abortion politicised me, says WEP leader Mandu Reid
Women’s Equality party head says her decision would have been different if UK parenting policies had been more progressive

Nosheen Iqbal
Sat 27 Apr 2019

Mandu Reid, the new leader of the Women’s Equality party (WEP), has spoken publicly about the impact of her abortion and why it compelled her to enter politics.

In an interview with the Observer, Reid said her decision to have a termination at 33 had not been “an easy choice” but one made because she “couldn’t balance being a single mother and hold on to my career aspirations”.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/apr/27/mandu-reid-wep-abortion-politicised-me

27.04.2019

women's abortion stories

Women’s Equality party

Europe

United Kingdom

Human Rights

UK – 50 MPs Call For Women In England To Be Able To Take Abortion Pills At Home

50 MPs Call For Women In England To Be Able To Take Abortion Pills At Home
Women can begin to miscarry on their way home from clinics, under current regulations.

By Nicola Slawson
July 16, 2018

MPs are calling on the new health and social care secretary to allow women in England to take the second pill required for an abortion at home.

In a letter, which has gained cross-party support from more than 50 MPs, Matt Hancock has been urged to remove the restriction, which requires women to take both drugs (mifepristone and misoprostol) at a licensed clinic or hospital.

Continued: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/more-than-50-mps-urge-matt-hancock-to-let-women-in-england-take-abortion-pills-at-home_uk_5b4c6c91e4b0e7c958fd04be

UK- Tory MP calls for debate on lowering legal time limit for abortions

Tory MP calls for debate on lowering legal time limit for abortions
Maria Caulfield says current 24-week limit is one of most liberal abortion laws in the world

Emily Hawkins
Fri 2 Mar 2018

Maria Caulfield, the Conservative party’s vice-chair for women, has called for a debate on reducing the 24-week time limit for women to receive legal abortions.

In remarks that drew criticism from Labour, the MP for Lewes said the 1967 Abortion Act – which applies to England, Scotland and Wales – was “one of the most liberal abortion laws in the world”.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/02/tory-mp-calls-for-debate-on-reducing-legal-time-limit-for-abortions

02.03.2018