Government Urged to Reconsider Controversial Abortion Clause in Crime and Policing Bill
A coalition of MPs and peers from various political parties is pressing the government to postpone a contentious abortion provision in the Crime and Policing Bill. These lawmakers are demanding a comprehensive impact assessment before the clause goes into effect.
Clause 246 proposes the decriminalization of abortion up to birth. Although the existing legal limit of 24 weeks remains unchanged for medical professionals, the clause removes penalties for women who perform abortions themselves after this period, for any reason.
Critics argue that this could lead to unsafe practices, reminiscent of the ‘back-street abortions’ often highlighted by pro-abortion advocates. Concerns have been raised about the potential risk to women’s safety under this new provision.
In a letter addressed to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Health Minister Wes Streeting, the cross-party group advocates not only for an impact assessment but also for updated guidelines for police, prosecutors, and doctors, requiring approval from both Houses of Parliament.
The letter emphasizes that the current language in Clause 246 is ambiguous and needs clarification before becoming law.
Signatories questioned the protocol if a medical professional encounters a live baby after complications from a self-managed abortion, asking whether they should attempt to save the infant or complete the abortion.
They also raised concerns about distinguishing between infanticide and very late-term abortions, suggesting that the clause could lead to undetected cases of infanticide.
Among the 79 signatories are representatives from Labour, the Conservatives, the Lib Dems, and Reform UK.
Catherine Robinson, spokesperson for Right To Life UK, commented, “Bringing the abortion up to birth clause into force before a proper impact assessment has been produced, and before police, prosecutors and healthcare professionals have been given clear guidance on these and other serious issues, would be deeply irresponsible.”
She further noted, “There are now almost 300,000 abortions every year in this country. Britain’s abortion time limit is already double that of the most common abortion limit among EU countries. And yet Parliament has just voted for even fewer safeguards for women and fewer protections for the unborn, even late in pregnancy.”
“The law change would likely lead to the lives of many more women being endangered because of the risks involved with self-administered late-term abortions and also tragically lead to an increased number of viable babies’ lives being ended well beyond the 24-week abortion time limit and beyond the point at which they would be able to survive outside the womb.”
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
