UK Pro-Life Advocates Fight Bill to Allow Abortions Up to Birth

At the Lords Committee Stage of the Crime and Policing Bill today, Peers have lined up to back a major bid to overturn the abortion up to birth clause in the Bill, and reinstate in-person consultations with a medical professional prior to an abortion taking place at home.

The speeches from the debate today can be viewed here. Full details regarding the amendments considered today are available in the press release published yesterday here.

Baroness (Rosa) Monckton, who has tabled an amendment to remove the abortion up to birth clause from the Crime and Policing Bill, said:

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“I was pleased to be able to speak for many peers and, I believe, most of the country today in opposing the extreme proposal to remove the legal deterrent against women aborting their babies up to birth.”

“Such a change in the law would seriously endanger women’s lives because of the risks of self-induced late-term abortions away from a clinical context, and likely lead to increased numbers of viable babies’ lives being ended. It would also decriminalise self-induced sex-selective abortions. I very much hope peers will support my amendment at Report stage and stop these proposals from becoming law.”

Former Northern Irish First Minister Baroness (Arlene) Foster, who was a signatory to Baroness Stroud’s amendment to reintroduce in-person consultations with a medical professional before at-home abortions can take place, said:

“Decriminalising self-induced abortion to full-term must be one of the most extreme proposals the House of Lords has ever had to debate. The debate today made it clear that the real problem here is not our already extreme abortion laws, which permit abortions up to nearly six months into pregnancy, but the lack of an in-person consultation with a medical professional before abortion pills are prescribed, allowing women to administer their own abortions beyond the legal limit.”

“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 for Right To Life UK, said:

“The House of Lords has the opportunity to put right a great wrong. 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.”

“Numerous peers today highlighted the many dangers with the abortion up to birth clause, and the unacceptable way it was rushed into the Bill, taking the public and commentators by surprise. It has no mandate. Peers need to be clear that far from being moderate, these proposals are radical and, combined with the pills by post scheme, would make our already extreme 24-week time limit effectively redundant for women who wish to abort late in pregnancy via easily obtained pills.”

“The same activist groups behind these proposals have recently recommended removing the prohibitions on sex-selective abortion and healthcare professionals performing abortions up to birth for ‘social reasons’ in Scotland. They want to bring the same changes to the law here, and the Westminster proposals are the thin end of the wedge.”

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