Katherine O’Brien, affiliate director on the British Being pregnant Advisory Service (BPAS), even beforehand defined to GLAMOUR, “The 1967 Abortion Act, and our potential to finish a being pregnant, lie within the palms of politicians, and over the previous 10 years we now have seen a lot of parliamentary bids to limit abortion safely and legally”.

Professor Wendy Savage, president of Docs for Selection UK, explains that there was a rise in ladies being subjected to police investigation for offences regarding abortion. “It was so uncommon for girls to be taken to court docket for this… after which unexpectedly we have this comparatively giant quantity, if you examine it to the earlier hundred years,” she says. “One thing has modified.”

As The Guardian reported in November 2023, between 1861 and November 2022 solely three ladies have been convicted of getting an unlawful abortion. However since December 2022 (on the time of writing) one girl had been convicted and 6 folks have been awaiting trial. Latest knowledge means that Britons are dealing with elevated police scrutiny relating to abortion.

Wendy tells GLAMOUR these instances are nonetheless uncommon – however they typically have an effect on probably the most weak ladies. “These are ladies who might have violent companions, or psychological well being points. If decriminalisation comes into impact, these ladies will not be subjected to police investigation and questioning – their telephones being confiscated, being separated from their present kids if they’ve them – horrible issues to topic them to in such a scenario.”

What would decriminalised abortion seem like?

Some would possibly marvel what ‘decriminalisation’ of abortion really means. Many might not even know that abortion might be thought of a felony offence in Britain.

One other concern is likely to be whether or not decriminalising abortion would have an effect on ladies’s security –nevertheless, it is extra possible to enhance it. Certainly, research have proven that by limiting entry to authorized abortion, charges don’t lower — as an alternative, the restrictions merely “drive growing charges of unsafe abortions, as ladies resort to searching for abortions covertly,” as one 2022 paper reported.

And because the RCOG has said, decriminalising abortion does not imply deregulating it. “The supply of medical and surgical abortion in Britain is already extremely regulated and decriminalising abortion doesn’t imply deregulation,” it states. “If laws is amended in order that abortion is not a felony offence, strict authorized, regulatory {and professional} controls would apply in the identical means as different medical procedures – for instance across the sale and provide of abortion drugs and solely registered and licensed medical practitioners with acceptable coaching capable of legally carry out surgical abortions.”

Professor Savage tells GLAMOUR that every one present regulation relating to abortion would stay so, too – because the 1967 act would stay in place. That signifies that most ladies have till 24 weeks to determine whether or not they wish to terminate a being pregnant – and in later circumstances, it’s topic to discussions with their docs. In any case, the decriminalisation of abortion would imply that no person would face police investigation or felony expenses in any circumstance.