Why it is time to decriminalise abortion
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This week the British Pregnancy Advisory Service launched the We Trust Women campaign to remove abortion from the criminal law across the UK. We believe it is both absurd and offensive that in the 21st century a woman in this country could be imprisoned for ending her pregnancy without the legal authorisation of two doctors under legislation passed before women could vote. We want the removal of sections 58 and 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act, which call for a woman who induces her own miscarriage to face life imprisonment, alongside anyone who assists her. Our campaign is supported by many women’s organisations, including the Royal College of Midwives, the Fawcett Society, the Family Planning Association and the Women’s Equality Party.
The 1967 act did not remove those offending sections of the OAPA; rather, it stipulated that a woman would not be prosecuted if two doctors agreed she met certain conditions. That act was pioneering and profoundly important – yet it was not...
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