Many are unaware that abortion remains a criminal offence in Britain due to a piece of legislation from 1861, the ‘Offences Against the Person Act.’ The ‘Abortion Act,’ which was introduced in 1967, allows people to access legal abortion, but only if two doctors agree that specific grounds are met . This means that you can face prosecution for having an abortion outside of these specific grounds, such as accessing pills online or having an abortion beyond the legal time limit.

Women are increasingly being investigated and prosecuted for ‘illegal abortion’ and some have even been imprisoned for ending their own pregnancies. Having an illegal abortion in Britain can carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment - one of the most severe penalties for illegal abortion in the world.

Abortion was decriminalised in Northern Ireland in 2019, meaning Northern Ireland now has a more human-rights compliant abortion framework than the rest of the UK.
Read more about UK abortion law here.

Here are six ways in which current abortion law is harmful, which explain why we support decriminalisation:

1. Not fit for practice
Abortion law is outdated, not evidence-based and prevents best possible clinical care.

2. Two doctors' signatures
This mandatory requirement causes delays in access to care and means women and pregnant people are not truly in charge of their own decision-making and bodies.

3. Nurse/midwife provision
The law prevents nurses and midwives from having a full role in abortion care despite being more than capable of doing so.

4. Time limits
Strict arbitrary time limits mean some, often more vulnerable, people are forced to continue unwanted pregnancies.

5. Stigma
The use of criminal law in healthcare sends a strong message of social disapproval and reinforces abortion-related stigma.

6. Risk of prosecution
There is a risk of prosecution and imprisonment for those who have or provide an abortion outside of legal stipulations, such as accessing abortion pills online, having or providing an abortion outside legal time limits or if an abortion is not authorised by two doctors.

See more about the recent prosecutions below and why we need urgent decriminalisation so that no one else will ever be imprisoned for ending their own pregnancy.

Last year, six women were taken to court for an ‘illegal abortion.’

One woman, a mother of three, was given a 28-month prison sentence in June 2023 for ‘illegal abortion’ (later halved and suspended on appeal).

Four women are due to go to trial this year (2024).

In Britain in 2023 women being investigated for ‘illegal abortion’ have:
…been banned from contact with any children, including their own
…had their phone and computer seized
…had their home turned into a crime scene
…received death threats
…faced life-changing debts for legal costs
…been given a life-long criminal record

We urgently need to decriminalise abortion so that no one else will be investigated, prosecuted or imprisoned for ending their own pregnancy.

Abridged version of speeches outside of The Old Bailey (1.29 minutes)

Full version of speeches outside of the Old Bailey. (14 minutes)

You can help put an end to Britain’s archaic and cruel abortion law!

Later this month (February 2024) MPs will vote on whether to decriminalise abortion for women.

Tell your MP to vote to stop people being jailed for having an abortion now!

Email your MP Now!


Don’t forget to share our campaign on social media!

Together we can ensure that no one will ever again be jailed for ending their own pregnancy.

We support the full decriminalisation of abortion throughout the whole of the UK, which would mean removing abortion from the criminal statute and regulating it like any other healthcare.

For more information, please see our position statements on decriminalisation and time limits and our response to the jailing of a women in June 2023 for 28 months for having an abortion outside of legal restrictions.

Decriminalisation of abortion is supported by many professional medical organisations, including the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Royal College of Nursing, the Royal Society of Midwives, the Royal College of General Practitioners, the British Medical Association and the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare.