Peers call for removal of clause legalising abortion up to birth

Peers have spoken against abortion legislation included in the Crime and Policing Bill currently under scrutiny in the House of Lords. The Bill includes Clause 191, introduced by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, which would decriminalise seeking an abortion at any stage of a pregnancy.

Baroness Monckton spoke about the legislation’s dangers during the Committee Stage debate, arguing for her amendment which would remove Clause 191. She said: “This law change would effectively reintroduce backstreet abortion as women would not be able to have terminations in a clinic beyond the 24-week limit, but could do so at home on their own, without the prospect of any subsequent investigation, using pills not designed for use outside of a clinical context beyond 10 weeks.”

She added: “We are told that Clause 191 is a moderate change to the law that would not affect the 24-week time limit. However, given that most abortions now take place outside of a clinical setting, without an in-person consultation, the 24-week time limit would become redundant.

“Women could simply tell an abortion provider they are below the legal limit, and in all likelihood, they would be sent the pills by post. It is for this reason that a legal deterrent underpinning the 24-week limit is more important in the current context.

“Clause 191 is not moderate, it is radical, and its effect is to decriminalise abortions of babies up to birth if a woman seeks to induce a termination late in pregnancy by obtaining easily acquired pills.” Lady Monckton concluded, “The potential consequences are terrifying.”

As it currently stands the Bill would allow women to terminate their pregnancies at any stage and for any reason. One of the many issues raised by peers was the potential for gender-selective abortions. Baroness Eaton introduced an amendment to maintain a prohibition on sex-selective abortion. She said:

“Today’s debate highlighted how little thought has gone into proposals to decriminalise self-administered abortions up to birth. The clause was passed hurriedly after minimal debate in the Commons, via the hijacking of an unrelated Bill… The Government must find a way to pause these proposals and remove them from the Bill. Neither abortion up to birth nor sex-selective abortion has any place in a civilised country.”

After the introduction of the ‘pills by post’ scheme during the pandemic, it is possible for women to obtain abortion pills to take at home without seeing a medical professional. Baroness Foster, who co-sponsored an amendment to reintroduce in-person appointments, said: “Reinstating in-person appointments enjoys wide public support and would allow reliable gestational age checks, protecting women from the significant health risks associated with late abortions and from the risk of coercion.”

Catherine Robinson, spokesperson from Right To Life UK, said about the Bill: “This proposed law change would endanger women as well as viable unborn babies. It is also deeply unpopular – only 1% of the public supports abortion up to birth.”

The Committee Stage continues with a final debate on Friday 5 February before moving on to the Report Stage and a Third Reading.