Members of Parliament are anticipated to receive a vote without party restrictions on the issue of decriminalizing abortion. This is due to a Labour member of Parliament proposing an amendment that would eliminate the punishment of women who have abortions after the 24-week cut-off.
Next month, Diana Johnson is anticipated to propose a modification to the Criminal Justice Act that would eliminate the potential for women to be incarcerated for proceeding with abortions after the designated time frame.
Members of Parliament are typically given the freedom to vote as they choose on the topic of abortion due to it being viewed as a matter of personal belief. This means that political parties permit their members in parliament to make an individual decision on their voting stance.
Johnson expressed optimism that the amendment would be successful, citing the previous decriminalization of Northern Ireland in 2019-20.
“It would be quite unusual if parliament chose not to implement this for England and Wales, considering that we have already done so and there have been no major consequences. Other nations such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the Republic of Ireland have also implemented it, so it is not as terrible as some may portray it,” she stated.
The amount of investigations and increase in women facing court cases, along with the high number of police investigations and frequent requests for medical records from abortion providers, may also influence individuals.
“Women who have experienced stillbirths are being subjected to inquiries. In addition, a small number of women who seek late-term abortions are often in extremely difficult situations – such as being victims of human trafficking, being young, or being in an abusive relationship. I do not believe that taking legal action against these women is the appropriate solution.”
A survey of Members of Parliament conducted by the Times revealed that a majority seem to support the decriminalization of abortion. Specifically, 55% are against the prosecution of women, 23% are in favor, and the remaining MPs are unsure.
In England, two doctors must approve abortions and they must occur within the first 24 weeks of pregnancy. Deliberately ending a pregnancy is against the law and can result in a maximum sentence of life imprisonment under the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act. Abortions after 10 weeks are performed in either a hospital or clinic.
In 2019, approximately 100 women were examined for their involvement in abortions. In 2023, there was a strong public reaction to the situation of Carla Foster, a mother of three who was imprisoned for ending her pregnancy beyond the legal time frame while in lockdown.
Initially, she received a 28-month sentence, but it was later reduced to a 14-month suspended sentence by the court of appeal judge, who believed she required empathy rather than penalty. She confessed to unlawfully obtaining her own abortion during the 32nd and 34th week of her pregnancy.
Bethany Cox, a resident of Teesside, was acquitted of the aforementioned accusation. However, three additional women who have also been accused of performing illegal abortions are expected to have their court hearings this year.
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Starting in 2022, there have been at least six instances where women have faced legal action and numerous investigations for terminating their pregnancies outside of the legally permitted parameters for abortion. In the last two decades, only three women were brought to court for this offense.
On Friday night, the health secretary, Victoria Atkins, indicated that she would back decriminalisation. In an interview with the Telegraph, she said her voting record – she has previously supported decriminalisation and backed buffer zones for abortion clinics – “speaks for itself”.
In a recent statement, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) advised healthcare workers to refrain from reporting potential illegal abortions to law enforcement because such cases are not deemed to be in the best interest of the public.
During a discussion in January, Dr. Ranee Thakar, who is the head of the professional organization, expressed that current abortion laws are old-fashioned and obsolete. This puts women at risk of being criminally investigated.
She stated that professionals were under scrutiny that was deemed unacceptable and unwarranted. The RCOG also warned that disclosing confidential patient information without consent could result in disciplinary action from professional organizations.
Source: theguardian.com
