Summary
A Labour MP, Tonia Antoniazzi, has proposed a change to the UK laws to stop treating abortion as a crime. Her plan does not alter how abortion services are provided but aims to prevent women from being prosecuted for having abortions.
Key Facts
- Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi proposed an amendment to decriminalise abortions in England and Wales.
- The current law requires a pregnancy to be terminated before 24 weeks with approval from two doctors.
- Over 100 women have faced police investigations for abortions in recent years.
- Ms Antoniazzi's amendment has support from nearly 60 MPs across various political parties.
- A BBC investigation reported increased police investigations into women ending pregnancies, sometimes following natural miscarriages.
- The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists supports reforming current abortion laws.
- Abortion laws in England and Wales come from a 164-year-old law, modified by the 1967 Abortion Act.
- Scotland has similar laws but is reviewing them separately due to its distinct healthcare system.
