UK Bill Could Legalise Abortion Up to Birth Without Medical Oversight

A controversial clause in the Crime and Policing Bill could decriminalise abortion up to full term if performed by the mother alone. The proposal, currently under debate in the House of Lords, removes legal oversight and medical safeguards for late-term terminations. Critics warn it risks leaving women without support during high-risk procedures.

Clause 191, titled Removal of Women from the criminal law related to abortion, would scrap the Infant Life Preservation Act 1929. That law currently protects viable unborn babies after 24 weeks. If passed, the change would allow a woman to end her pregnancy at any stage, for any reason, without medical supervision.

The clause passed the Commons without evidence, public consultation, or detailed scrutiny. Under its terms, no other person may be present if abortion pills are taken after 24 weeks. This leaves women alone during a procedure that carries higher risks later in pregnancy.

Research shows one in 17 women who self-manage abortions at home later require hospital treatment. Complications rise significantly in the third trimester. There are also concerns that babies aborted at home using pills—intended only for use up to ten weeks—could be born alive.

Opponents argue the law change removes the last legal protections for unborn children. Currently, one in three pregnancies in the country ends in abortion. They also warn it could increase coercive late-term terminations, forcing women into traumatic, unsupervised procedures.

Public support for extending abortion limits to birth remains low. Surveys indicate only two percent of the population backs the idea, with no recent demand for such a change.

The proposed law would eliminate legal safeguards for unborn babies and leave women without medical support during late-term abortions. If approved, it would mark the most radical shift in abortion legislation in decades. The House of Lords must now decide whether to adopt the clause or reject it.