In a landmark decision on June 17, 2025, Members of Parliament (MPs) in the United Kingdom voted overwhelmingly to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales, marking the most significant reform in reproductive rights in nearly six decades. The amendment, passed by 379 votes to 137, was added to the Crime and Policing Bill and aims to stop women from facing police investigations, prosecutions, or imprisonment for terminating their own pregnancies.
Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, the architect of the amendment known as "New Clause One" (NC1), described the vote as a historic step toward compassion and justice for vulnerable women. She emphasized that the current Victorian-era laws, dating back to the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act (OAPA), had been used to target women in distressing circumstances, including those who had miscarriages or were coerced by abusive partners into ending pregnancies. Antoniazzi cited the case of Nicola Packer, a woman who was prosecuted after taking prescribed abortion medication at around 26 weeks—well beyond the legal 10-week limit for home medication—and was recently acquitted after a prolonged legal battle.
"Each one of these cases is a travesty, enabled by our outdated abortion law," Antoniazzi told Parliament. "This is not justice, it is cruelty and it has got to end." The amendment specifically removes women from criminal liability for ending their pregnancies, but it does not alter the existing abortion framework, including the 24-week gestational limit and the requirement for two doctors' approval as set out in the 1967 Abortion Act. Medical professionals or others who assist in abortions outside the legal framework remain subject to prosecution.
The vote represents a decisive break from the archaic 1861 law, which still technically criminalizes abortion and can carry a life sentence. While abortions have been legal in England and Wales for nearly 60 years under the 1967 Act, the criminal statute has lingered in the background, leading to a troubling rise in police investigations and prosecutions in recent years. Since 2020, around 100 women have been investigated by police, six have faced court, and one woman was imprisoned on suspicion of illegal abortion offenses.
Humanists UK, a leading advocate for secular and human rights causes, expressed delight at the vote. Karen Wright, Public Affairs Manager at Humanists UK, praised MPs for standing up for vulnerable women, saying, "MPs today have made history in shaping a more humane law that prioritises treating women with compassion instead of suspicion in their hour of need." The amendment was co-sponsored by 180 cross-party MPs, including many from the All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group (APPHG), and supported by more than 50 organizations such as the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), MSI Reproductive Choices, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), the Royal College of Midwives, and the British Medical Association.
The debate unfolded amid a backdrop of growing calls for reform, fueled by high-profile cases that exposed the harsh realities women face under the current legal regime. Carla Foster, another woman charged with illegal abortion in 2023, was initially jailed but later had her sentence suspended upon appeal. These cases have spotlighted the distress caused by police investigations that sometimes target women who have suffered miscarriages or premature births or who have been subjected to coercion and abuse.
Antoniazzi highlighted that nearly 99% of abortions occur before 20 weeks, leaving a small minority of women in desperate, often complex situations. She urged MPs to recognize that these women need care and support, not criminalization. "Originally passed by an all-male parliament elected by men alone, this Victorian law is increasingly used against vulnerable women and girls," she said.
Despite broad support, the amendment faced opposition from some quarters. Conservative MP Sir Edward Leigh argued the changes were "not pro-woman" and warned they could lead to sex-selective abortions. Rebecca Smith, another Conservative lawmaker, expressed concern that decriminalization might pave the way for expanding abortion time limits beyond the current 24 weeks. The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) condemned the vote, describing it as "the greatest threat to unborn children and their mothers since the 1967 Abortion Act," warning that it would allow abortions up to birth without criminal consequences.
However, medical and professional bodies strongly backed the reform. Ranee Thakar, President of the RCOG, hailed the decision as "a victory for women and for their essential reproductive rights," emphasizing that abortion should be regulated like other medical procedures under professional and regulatory standards rather than criminal law. The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare and BPAS echoed this sentiment, noting that decriminalization would align England and Wales with other Western nations such as France, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, where abortion is treated as a healthcare issue rather than a criminal one.
The amendment still needs to complete its legislative journey through the House of Commons and the House of Lords before becoming law. Meanwhile, a separate amendment proposed by Labour MP Stella Creasy, which sought to enshrine abortion access as a human right and remove all abortion-related clauses from the 1861 Act, was not voted on after Antoniazzi's amendment passed. Conservative MP Dr. Caroline Johnson's attempt to require in-person consultations before prescribing abortion pills was defeated.
The vote comes at a time when abortion rights are under intense scrutiny globally. In the United States, the 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade has led to patchwork abortion laws, with many states banning or severely restricting access. In contrast, public opinion in the UK remains strongly supportive of abortion rights, with YouGov polls consistently showing around 88% of the British population favoring women's right to abortion.
Recent reforms in the UK have already expanded access to abortion care, including the introduction of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, which allows women to receive abortion pills by post after a remote consultation for pregnancies up to 10 weeks. This change, initially an emergency measure, was made permanent in 2022 following a parliamentary vote. Additionally, safe access zones around clinics were established to protect women from harassment.
In neighboring Ireland and Northern Ireland, abortion laws have also liberalized in recent years, shifting culpability for illegal abortions away from women to those who assist them. These changes reflect a broader trend toward treating abortion as a healthcare matter rather than a criminal offense.
Campaigners and health advocates stress that while the vote is a monumental step, further reform is needed to modernize the 1967 Abortion Act fully. Louise McCudden, UK head of external affairs at MSI Reproductive Choices, noted, "Getting abortion law reform right will take time, and we want to make sure we do that in a way that takes into account expert opinion, takes into account women’s voices [and] human rights groups." She added, "The women who are being investigated and facing prosecution and jail can’t afford to wait."
With this vote, the UK has taken a decisive stand to protect women from prosecution for ending their pregnancies, signaling a shift towards compassion and respect for reproductive autonomy. As the legislation moves forward, it promises to reshape the landscape of abortion rights and healthcare in England and Wales, ensuring that women are treated with dignity rather than suspicion in their most vulnerable moments.
