10 reasons to decriminalise abortion
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1 It’s out of date
The 1861 Offences Against the Person Act (OAPA), which criminalises abortion, is a Victorian piece of legislation that fossilises values well out of step with those cherished in Britain today.
2 It’s patronising to women
Under the 1967 Abortion Act, which provided exemptions from prosecution under the OAPA but did not decriminalise abortion, a woman cannot decide for herself to have an abortion.
This decision has to be made on her behalf, by two doctors. This paternalistic approach sits at odds with every other clinical procedure. In the 21st century, a woman who ends her own pregnancy without the permission of 2 doctors can be ‘kept in penal servitude for life’.
3 It discriminates against women
The criminalisation of abortion makes a mockery of the equal status that is accorded to women in any other area of life, and represents discrimination against women.
Without the ability to control their fertility, women would have not achieved the level of educational and...
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