Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
Political reporter Brian Wheeler reported that there is a proposed shake-up of abortion laws in England and Wales. Women would no longer be prosecuted for terminating a pregnancy. MPs are expected to have a free vote on this issue, meaning they will not be instructed on how to vote by their respective parties. The call for change comes amidst concerns that more women are facing police investigations over illegally ending pregnancies.
Abortion is currently illegal in England and Wales under the Offences Against the Person Act of 1861, with exceptions up to 24 weeks and in specific circumstances outlined in the 1967 Abortion Act. The amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill introduced by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi aims to decriminalize abortion at any stage if a woman acts in relation to her own pregnancy, removing the threat of investigation or imprisonment. While the framework for accessing abortions would remain the same, the requirement for two doctors to sign off on the procedure would only be necessary if performed in a hospital or healthcare setting.
Antoniazzi emphasized the urgency of the change needed to protect women, highlighting cases where six women have faced charges related to ending their pregnancies outside the law in the past three years. Meanwhile, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has called for reform, noting the outdated and harmful nature of current abortion laws. The proposed amendments by Antoniazzi and Labour MP Stella Creasey have gained support from various MPs, with debates scheduled for the upcoming week.
Despite concerns raised by major abortion care providers about the impact of the amendments, there is a divide on whether the changes would align the UK with modern practices or result in a contentious debate on abortion rights. The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children views both proposals as a significant threat and is urging MPs to vote against them. The prime minister’s office recognizes the sensitivity of the issue and asserts that any potential changes to abortion laws would be a matter of conscience for individual MPs rather than government policy. The 1967 Abortion Act has seen revisions over the years, with a reduction in the permissible timeframe for abortions from 28 to 24 weeks in 1990
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.