The Campaign to Decriminalise Abortion
People in England and Wales will no longer be criminalised for having an abortion
The co-chairs of Doctors for Choice UK, Jayne Kavanagh and Hayley Webb, write for the BMJ on why the work for decriminalising abortion is not yet done.
It’s a victory that people will no longer be prosecuted for ending their own pregnancies - but legal restrictions such as the requirement for the two doctors for every abortion and arbitrary pregnancy duration limits remain, causing serious infringements on patient-centred care and bodily autonomy.
The BMJ: Opinion
The 2025 campaign to decriminalise abortion for women and pregnant people
After a sucessful campaign, in June 2025, a large majoriy passed an amendment tabled by MP Tonia Antoniazzi to the‘Crime and Policing Bill,’ which is still progressing through Parliament.
Amendment NC1 partly decriminalises abortion, ensuring women were removed from the criminal statute when acting in relation to their own pregnancy.
This only applies to England and Wales, with campaigning underway in Scotland to pass similar legislation.
Abortion remains a criminal offence in Britain in some circumstances due to an 1861 law – before women had the right to vote - with illegal abortion carried a maximum sentence of life imprisonment - one of the most severe penalties in the world.
In response to a huge increase in the number of women being investigated, prosecuted, and even imprisoned for ‘illegal abortion’ here in Britain under the 1861 Act, the campaign for decriminlaisation was launched.
Doctors for Choice UK joined other organisations to say loud and clear - no one should be sent to jail for ending their own pregnancy.
Joint call for urgent Parliamentary action on decriminalisation of abortion
Doctors for Choice UK joined other organisations calling on Parliament to take urgent action to decriminalise abortion, to protect women’s essential reproductive rights and to remove the threat of prosecution from any further person for ending their own pregnancy.
Doctors for Choice UK took to the streets to tell the public and parliament that abortion is not a crime!
Campaign videos
Film by Beccy Strong
Doctors for Choice UK outside The Old Bailey calling for an end to Britain’s archaic abortion law!
See video of full speeches here
Film by Beccy Strong
Doctors for Choice UK put our message that abortion is healthcare, on the side of London buses!
Doctors for Choice UK deliver a musical call for the decriminalisation of abortion!
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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. -
More than 100 women are believed to have been investigated under this law in recent years.
In the past two years, seven women were taken to court for ‘illegal abortion.’
One woman, a mother of three, was given a 28-month prison sentence in June 2023 (later halved and suspended on appeal).In 2024 a 25 year old was given an 18-month community order and mental health treatment requirement.
In Britain today 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)
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Write to your MP now and ask them to support amendment NC1 to stop the criminalisation of women for ending their own pregnancy.
Click HERE to write to your MP. -
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.