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England and Wales have taken a landmark step to decriminalise abortion, ending the threat of criminal prosecution for women who terminate pregnancies outside the law’s framework.
Hailed by many as a victory for women’s rights, the change has also sparked fear and misunderstanding — especially concerns that abortion is now permitted at any stage of pregnancy, even right up to birth.
This article explains what the law actually does, why it’s important, and why some fears around “abortion up to birth” are misplaced.
The Labour government has achieved one of the most significant changes to abortion law in England and Wales in nearly six decades — a landmark vote to decriminalise the process.
The change was written into the Crime and Policing Bill (which has yet to be passed into law) yesterday – June 17, 2025.
It means that, from the moment the Bill becomes an active Act of Parliament, women who terminate pregnancies outside the current legal framework will no longer face criminal prosecution.
The intention is to end the traumatic experiences faced by women criminalised under archaic laws, often for miscarriages or late discoveries of pregnancy.
Yet the move has sparked controversy, especially on social media, where many fear the law now allows abortion at any stage — even moments before birth.
This fear has driven significant public backlash, often framed in moral and emotive terms.
But is this anxiety grounded in fact, or is it a misunderstanding of the law and its practical implications?
Six books are gone – 44 to go!
Just click on the image, make your donation
and provide your details!
What has changed — and what hasn’t
To clarify, while it decriminalises abortion, the new amendment does not change the existing legal limits or medical regulations around abortion access.
The 24-week cut-off remains the legal standard for most abortions in England and Wales.
Abortions after this period continue to require special circumstances — such as a threat to the woman’s life or severe fetal abnormality — and must be approved by two doctors.
Women will no longer risk police investigation or prosecution for ending pregnancies outside the law’s strict framework, but doctors and anyone else facilitating unlawful abortions can still face legal consequences.
The amendment simply stops women — often vulnerable and traumatised — from being treated as criminals.
Buy Cruel Britannia in print here. Buy the Cruel Britannia ebook here. Or just click on the image!
Why decriminalisation matters
Under current laws dating back to the 19th century and the 1967 Abortion Act, abortion remains a criminal offence outside specific legal parameters.
This outdated legal framework has led to damaging consequences: women being arrested after miscarriages, undergoing invasive police investigations, or suffering criminal trials.
The example that has been highlighted during this debate is that of Nicola Packer, who took abortion medication at around 26 weeks after unknowingly carrying a non-viable pregnancy, and was then taken from hospital to a police cell and subjected to criminal investigation for four years.
Cases like this reveal the law’s profound failings in compassion and medical reality.
By decriminalising abortion, the amendment recognises that women need healthcare and support — not fear, stigma, or punishment.
Get my free guide: “10 Political Lies You Were Sold This Decade” — just subscribe to our email list here:
👉 https://voxpoliticalonline.com
Addressing the fear of “abortion up to birth”
The most vocal opposition to the amendment stems from the idea that abortion can now happen “at any time,” even right before birth. This is misleading.
First, late-term abortions are exceedingly rare. According to official statistics, nearly 99 per cent of abortions occur before 20 weeks of pregnancy. Only around one per cent happen beyond that – in exceptional circumstances. These cases typically involve severe foetal anomalies or serious health risks to the woman.
Second, the law’s medical safeguards remain intact. Doctors must still agree on the necessity of abortions after 24 weeks, and multiple medical reviews are often involved. The decriminalisation move removes the threat of criminal charges against women but does not remove medical oversight or ethical boundaries.
The risk of ‘mission creep’ — a real concern
That said, some worry about “mission creep” — the gradual erosion of existing limits and safeguards over time, potentially expanding abortion access in ways not intended or accepted by the public.
This concern is valid in any major policy shift.
Laws can be reinterpreted or regulatory bodies pressured to loosen restrictions.
Vigilance will be needed to ensure medical guidelines remain strict and transparent, that late-term abortion remains tightly controlled, and that public debate continues on ethical boundaries.
Preventing ‘mission creep’: what can be done?
To maintain balance between safeguarding women’s rights and addressing ethical concerns, several measures can help:
-
Clear medical guidelines and oversight: government should reinforce strict protocols for approving late-term abortions, including multidisciplinary review panels and regular audits.
-
Transparency: The NHS could publish anonymised data on late-term abortions to reassure the public and maintain accountability.
-
Parliamentary oversight: Government could enact periodic review of abortion laws and regulations to ensure they align with medical best practice and public sentiment.
-
Public education: It seems obvious that there needs to be clear communication about what the law actually permits and why late-term abortions are exceptional cases, not a free-for-all.
Six books are gone – 44 to go!
Just click on the image, make your donation
and provide your details!
A Step Forward in Women’s Rights and Compassionate Care
The decriminalisation of abortion is a historic step towards respecting women’s autonomy, health, and dignity.
It ends a legal nightmare for women who were prosecuted after miscarriages or when pregnancy was discovered late.
While concerns about unrestricted abortion deserve serious discussion, the new law does not legalise abortion at any point without restriction.
It removes criminal penalties for women while preserving medical safeguards.
By grounding the debate in facts, compassion, and clear safeguards against ‘mission creep’, we can protect both women’s reproductive rights and ethical standards.
Share this post:
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The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
The new abortion law: what it means, why it matters, and why some missed the point
Share this post:
England and Wales have taken a landmark step to decriminalise abortion, ending the threat of criminal prosecution for women who terminate pregnancies outside the law’s framework.
Hailed by many as a victory for women’s rights, the change has also sparked fear and misunderstanding — especially concerns that abortion is now permitted at any stage of pregnancy, even right up to birth.
This article explains what the law actually does, why it’s important, and why some fears around “abortion up to birth” are misplaced.
The Labour government has achieved one of the most significant changes to abortion law in England and Wales in nearly six decades — a landmark vote to decriminalise the process.
The change was written into the Crime and Policing Bill (which has yet to be passed into law) yesterday – June 17, 2025.
It means that, from the moment the Bill becomes an active Act of Parliament, women who terminate pregnancies outside the current legal framework will no longer face criminal prosecution.
The intention is to end the traumatic experiences faced by women criminalised under archaic laws, often for miscarriages or late discoveries of pregnancy.
Yet the move has sparked controversy, especially on social media, where many fear the law now allows abortion at any stage — even moments before birth.
This fear has driven significant public backlash, often framed in moral and emotive terms.
But is this anxiety grounded in fact, or is it a misunderstanding of the law and its practical implications?
Six books are gone – 44 to go!
Just click on the image, make your donation
and provide your details!
What has changed — and what hasn’t
To clarify, while it decriminalises abortion, the new amendment does not change the existing legal limits or medical regulations around abortion access.
The 24-week cut-off remains the legal standard for most abortions in England and Wales.
Abortions after this period continue to require special circumstances — such as a threat to the woman’s life or severe fetal abnormality — and must be approved by two doctors.
Women will no longer risk police investigation or prosecution for ending pregnancies outside the law’s strict framework, but doctors and anyone else facilitating unlawful abortions can still face legal consequences.
The amendment simply stops women — often vulnerable and traumatised — from being treated as criminals.
Buy Cruel Britannia in print here. Buy the Cruel Britannia ebook here. Or just click on the image!
Why decriminalisation matters
Under current laws dating back to the 19th century and the 1967 Abortion Act, abortion remains a criminal offence outside specific legal parameters.
This outdated legal framework has led to damaging consequences: women being arrested after miscarriages, undergoing invasive police investigations, or suffering criminal trials.
The example that has been highlighted during this debate is that of Nicola Packer, who took abortion medication at around 26 weeks after unknowingly carrying a non-viable pregnancy, and was then taken from hospital to a police cell and subjected to criminal investigation for four years.
Cases like this reveal the law’s profound failings in compassion and medical reality.
By decriminalising abortion, the amendment recognises that women need healthcare and support — not fear, stigma, or punishment.
Get my free guide: “10 Political Lies You Were Sold This Decade” — just subscribe to our email list here:
👉 https://voxpoliticalonline.com
Addressing the fear of “abortion up to birth”
The most vocal opposition to the amendment stems from the idea that abortion can now happen “at any time,” even right before birth. This is misleading.
First, late-term abortions are exceedingly rare. According to official statistics, nearly 99 per cent of abortions occur before 20 weeks of pregnancy. Only around one per cent happen beyond that – in exceptional circumstances. These cases typically involve severe foetal anomalies or serious health risks to the woman.
Second, the law’s medical safeguards remain intact. Doctors must still agree on the necessity of abortions after 24 weeks, and multiple medical reviews are often involved. The decriminalisation move removes the threat of criminal charges against women but does not remove medical oversight or ethical boundaries.
The risk of ‘mission creep’ — a real concern
That said, some worry about “mission creep” — the gradual erosion of existing limits and safeguards over time, potentially expanding abortion access in ways not intended or accepted by the public.
This concern is valid in any major policy shift.
Laws can be reinterpreted or regulatory bodies pressured to loosen restrictions.
Vigilance will be needed to ensure medical guidelines remain strict and transparent, that late-term abortion remains tightly controlled, and that public debate continues on ethical boundaries.
Preventing ‘mission creep’: what can be done?
To maintain balance between safeguarding women’s rights and addressing ethical concerns, several measures can help:
Clear medical guidelines and oversight: government should reinforce strict protocols for approving late-term abortions, including multidisciplinary review panels and regular audits.
Transparency: The NHS could publish anonymised data on late-term abortions to reassure the public and maintain accountability.
Parliamentary oversight: Government could enact periodic review of abortion laws and regulations to ensure they align with medical best practice and public sentiment.
Public education: It seems obvious that there needs to be clear communication about what the law actually permits and why late-term abortions are exceptional cases, not a free-for-all.
Six books are gone – 44 to go!
Just click on the image, make your donation
and provide your details!
A Step Forward in Women’s Rights and Compassionate Care
The decriminalisation of abortion is a historic step towards respecting women’s autonomy, health, and dignity.
It ends a legal nightmare for women who were prosecuted after miscarriages or when pregnancy was discovered late.
While concerns about unrestricted abortion deserve serious discussion, the new law does not legalise abortion at any point without restriction.
It removes criminal penalties for women while preserving medical safeguards.
By grounding the debate in facts, compassion, and clear safeguards against ‘mission creep’, we can protect both women’s reproductive rights and ethical standards.
Share this post:
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Be among the first to know what’s going on! Here are the ways to manage it:
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (bottom right of the home page). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
5) Follow Vox Political writer Mike Sivier on BlueSky
6) Join the MeWe page at https://mewe.com/p-front/voxpolitical
7) Feel free to comment!
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
Cruel Britannia is available
in either print or eBook format here:
The Livingstone Presumption is available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
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