Latest news with #Antoniazzi
New European
16-05-2025
- Politics
- New European
It's time to decriminalise abortion
Said offences, for which women can still be prosecuted, mostly derive from the Offences Against the Person Act of 1861, and the Infant Life (Preservation) Act of 1929. Though it is, in practice, legal to get an abortion during the first 24 weeks of a pregnancy – and afterwards in some very specific circumstances – the legislation has, until now, essentially acted as a series of loopholes, as opposed to a thorough rewriting of the law. It is, if anything, remarkable that it hasn't happened yet. Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi should be applauded for her amendment to the crime and policing bill, of course, but it feels incredible that it is needed at all. If it passes, it will remove 'women from the criminal law related to abortion', and would mean 'no offence is committed by a woman acting in relation to her own pregnancy'. Antoniazzi's amendment seeks to change that, and currently has the backing of over 50 MPs, from Liberal Democrat Christine Jardine and the Greens' Carla Denyer, to Conservative Caroline Dinenage, the SDLP's Claire Hanna and Llinos Medi from Plaid Cymru. Also in favour of the legal change are – deep breath – the British Medical Association, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Royal College of Midwives, the Royal College of Nursing, and the Royal College of General Practitioners. In short: it ought to be a slam dunk. It's also not the first time the Commons has been set to vote on the topic, as Labour MP Diana Johnson had put forward a similar amendment under the last Conservative government, but the general election was called before the criminal justice bill could go through Parliament. Though the government is yet to give its formal backing to the changes, it is hoped that ministers will do so. Keir Starmer has, so far, not exactly excelled in the realm of socially liberal issues, and ensuring that women are no longer criminalised for what happens inside their bodies would be a step in the right direction. Read more: Europe is fighting its own abortion battle As Antoniazzi has said, 'there is simply no world in which prosecuting a vulnerable woman who may have experienced a medical complication, miscarriage or stillbirth is the right course of action'. It also seems worth saying that, given both the global context and the way various parties are currently polling, now feels like the right time to enshrine women's rights in law, with little room for tweaking or backtracking. Americans thought that Roe v Wade had become untouchable, but clearly it wasn't. We in Britain would struggle to think of a world in which abortion would get criminalised again, but we should still prepare for a world in which it is a possibility. Govern for the times you're in, not the ones you wish you could be having, and all that. On a lighter note, there is something quite comforting about this amendment, which has so far been hiding in plain sight. Over 50 MPs have backed it, most of them women, and they're from every corner of the political spectrum. Perhaps most importantly, many of them were also at war with each other until recently. Antoniazzi is a prominent gender critical campaigner; Nadia Whittome, a fellow Labour MP, is one of Parliament's most outspoken campaigners on transgender rights. Many of the parliamentarians now agitating for the same thing were, and probably will be again at some point, on opposite sides of the gender debate. That they are now able to work together on such an important feminist issue should feel like encouraging news. Liberation movements have, after all, often had to become broad coalitions of people who otherwise disagreed on most things to be effective. It was sometimes feared that the rise of social media, algorithms and echo chambers would put an end to such large tents. It is a tremendous relief to see that it hasn't happened and, when the circumstances demand it, all these people can still work together. All that is needed now is for the government to remember that it ought to, once in a while, act as the progressive party it professes to be. Politics currently feels like the place where good news goes to die, and wouldn't it be nice for that to no longer be the case, even for one day?
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Abortion decriminalisation plans pushed by Labour MP
A Labour MP has launched a bid to decriminalise abortions, after campaigners revealed estimates that police have prosecuted more than 100 women under abortion laws in recent years. Abortion remains a criminal offence in England and Wales unless under strict circumstances - including taking place before 24 weeks into the pregnancy with the approval of two doctors - under a 164-year-old law. Tonia Antoniazzi, Labour MP for Gower, tabled an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill to decriminalise the process without "changing anything about provision of abortion care". Antoniazzi said the current situation was "unacceptable" and led to police prosecuting vulnerable women. Nearly 60 MPs from Labour, the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Green Party and Plaid Cymru have put their names to Antoniazzi's amendment. MPs had been due to debate similar amendments last year, but Parliament was dissolved for the general election before this could take place. How do the UK's abortion laws compare? Buffer zones set to come in around abortion clinics Last year a BBC investigation found an unprecedented number of women are being investigated by police on suspicion of illegally ending a pregnancy. Some investigations followed natural pregnancy loss, the report by File on 4 found. Pregnancy loss is investigated only if credible evidence suggests a crime, according to the National Police Chiefs' Council. The issue was in the news again this week when Nicola Packer, 45, was cleared by a jury of "unlawfully administering" herself with abortion pills at home during a coronavirus lockdown in 2020. She had taken prescribed abortion medicine when she was around 26 weeks pregnant, beyond the legal limit of 10 weeks for taking such medication at home. She told jurors she did not realise she had been pregnant for more than 10 weeks. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) said Ms Packer's trial demonstrated "just how outdated and harmful" current abortion law was and called for reform. RCOG are among several royal medical colleges, charities and trade unions backing Antoniazzi's amendment. Records collected by the UK's largest abortion services have found at least 100 women have been investigated for having an abortion in the last five years. Of those, six have appeared in court according to data collected by British Pregnancy Advisory Group (Bpas), National Unplanned Pregnancy Advisory Service (NUPAS) and MSI abortion services. Antoniazzi said: "There is simply no world in which prosecuting a vulnerable woman who may have experienced a medical complication, miscarriage or stillbirth is the right course of action." She said her amendment, laid before Parliament on Tuesday, is "tightly drawn - not changing anything about provision of abortion care, the time limit, the right to conscientious objection or any other aspects of abortion law". She added: "I am confident that, when Parliament has the opportunity to vote on these proposals, my colleagues will agree that never again should a woman be prosecuted for ending her own pregnancy in England and Wales." The amendment follows repeated calls to repeal sections of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. Abortions were completely illegal under 19th Century law until it was modified by the 1967 Abortion Act, which initially allowed them to take place up to 28 weeks. This was reduced to 24 weeks in 1990. Abortions after 24 weeks are allowed only if: the woman's life is in danger there is a severe fetal abnormality the woman is at risk of grave physical and mental injury Since 2018, women in England have taken the second abortion pill at home, aligning the rules with Scotland and Wales. Though the same rules apply in Scotland, it has a distinct healthcare and legal system. Abortion laws are currently under review in Scotland following appeals from advocacy groups' to decriminalise the process. Abortion was decriminalised in Northern Ireland in 2019. Latest figures show there were 251,377 abortions recorded in England and Wales in 2022 - the highest number since the Abortion Act was introduced and an increase of 17% over the previous year. About 88% of recorded abortions took place before 10 weeks, after which the procedure must be carried out in an approved clinic or NHS hospital. Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.
North Wales Chronicle
14-05-2025
- Health
- North Wales Chronicle
Campaigners say women deserve better as they seek to decriminalise abortion
Organisations say more than 100 women are believed to have been investigated by the police in recent years under the current 164-year-old law, which sees abortion in England and Wales remain a criminal offence. It is legal with an authorised provider up to 24 weeks, with very limited circumstances allowing one after this time, such as when the mother's life is at risk or the child would be born with a severe disability. A new amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, brought by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, stating that 'no offence is committed by a woman acting in relation to her own pregnancy', has been backed by a number of groups including royal medical colleges, charities and trade unions. One – healthcare provider the British Pregnancy Advisory Group (Bpas) – said the change would do away with the threat of investigation, arrest, prosecution or imprisonment currently faced by some women. It insisted it would not change any law regarding the provision of abortion services within a healthcare setting, including the time limit, the grounds for abortion or the requirement for the approval of two doctors. It said anyone, including a medical professional, who assisted a woman in obtaining an abortion outside the law would remain liable for prosecution. Bpas said: 'For every woman who ends up in court, at least 10 others are subjected to prolonged police investigations which can prevent them from getting the mental health support they desperately need and which have resulted in existing children being separated from women whose cases never make it to court. Women deserve better.' Ms Antoniazzi said the current law is 'unacceptable', adding: 'There is simply no world in which prosecuting a vulnerable woman who may have experienced a medical complication, miscarriage or stillbirth is the right course of action.' She said her amendment, laid before Parliament on Tuesday, is 'tightly drawn – not changing anything about provision of abortion care, the time limit, the right to conscientious objection or any other aspects of abortion law'. She added: 'I am confident that, when Parliament has the opportunity to vote on these proposals, my colleagues will agree that never again should a woman be prosecuted for ending her own pregnancy in England and Wales.' The issue most recently came to the fore earlier this month with the case of a woman who took medication at home during a coronavirus lockdown in 2020. Nicola Packer, 45, was cleared by a jury last week of 'unlawfully administering to herself a poison or other noxious thing' with the 'intent to procure a miscarriage'. She had taken prescribed abortion medicine when she was around 26 weeks pregnant, beyond the legal limit of 10 weeks for taking such medication at home. She told jurors she did not realise she had been pregnant for more than 10 weeks. Following the trial, her friend said she had been 'persecuted' for a 'tragic accident', while the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (Rcog) claimed the trial showed 'just how outdated and harmful' current abortion law is as they backed calls for reform. The case of Carla Foster, jailed in 2023 for illegally obtaining abortion tablets to end her pregnancy when she was between 32 and 34 weeks pregnant, eventually saw her sentence reduced by the Court of Appeal and suspended, with senior judges saying that sending women to prison for abortion-related offences is 'unlikely' to be a 'just outcome'. The amendment on decriminalisation is said to have the support of more than 60 cross-party MPs and backers hope for a vote on it as early as next month. The latest attempt follows repeated calls to repeal sections of the 19th-century law – the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act – after abortion was decriminalised in Northern Ireland in 2019. MPs had been due to debate similar amendments removing the threat of prosecution against women who act in relation to their own pregnancy at any stage, but these did not take place after Parliament was dissolved last summer for the general election. It is expected a separate amendment could be published by a group led by fellow Labour MP Stella Creasy, to not only decriminalise abortion but to 'lock in' the right of someone to have one and protect those who help them. Ms Creasy last week said the law must be changed so that 'the right to choose is a human right', ensuring no repeat of 'such awful cases and victimisation of vulnerable women again'. The amendment would not cover Scotland, where a group is currently undertaking work to review the law as it stands there. Last month, Scotland's women's health minister, Jenni Minto, said she was 'disappointed' that some still have to travel to England for late-term abortions, amid concerns that women in Scotland can only have a termination after 20 weeks in cases where there is either a foetal abnormality or the woman's life is at risk. Louise McCudden, from provider MSI Reproductive Choices, said: 'No-one should face criminal prosecution for ending their own pregnancy. Our Victorian abortion laws are not only outdated, but inconsistent, with abortion now decriminalised in Northern Ireland but not in England, Wales, or Scotland. 'As one of the world's largest abortion providers, we're deeply concerned to see so many women face prosecution, even jail, in Britain.'
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Campaigners say women deserve better as they seek to decriminalise abortion
Health professionals, charities and MPs are renewing efforts to decriminalise abortion, declaring that 'women deserve better' and should not face investigation under 'archaic' law. Organisations say more than 100 women are believed to have been investigated by the police in recent years under the current 164-year-old law, which sees abortion in England and Wales remain a criminal offence. It is legal with an authorised provider up to 24 weeks, with very limited circumstances allowing one after this time, such as when the mother's life is at risk or the child would be born with a severe disability. A new amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, brought by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, stating that 'no offence is committed by a woman acting in relation to her own pregnancy', has been backed by a number of groups including royal medical colleges, charities and trade unions. One – healthcare provider the British Pregnancy Advisory Group (Bpas) – said the change would do away with the threat of investigation, arrest, prosecution or imprisonment currently faced by some women. It insisted it would not change any law regarding the provision of abortion services within a healthcare setting, including the time limit, the grounds for abortion or the requirement for the approval of two doctors. It said anyone, including a medical professional, who assisted a woman in obtaining an abortion outside the law would remain liable for prosecution. Bpas said: 'For every woman who ends up in court, at least 10 others are subjected to prolonged police investigations which can prevent them from getting the mental health support they desperately need and which have resulted in existing children being separated from women whose cases never make it to court. Women deserve better.' Ms Antoniazzi said the current law is 'unacceptable', adding: 'There is simply no world in which prosecuting a vulnerable woman who may have experienced a medical complication, miscarriage or stillbirth is the right course of action.' She said her amendment, laid before Parliament on Tuesday, is 'tightly drawn – not changing anything about provision of abortion care, the time limit, the right to conscientious objection or any other aspects of abortion law'. She added: 'I am confident that, when Parliament has the opportunity to vote on these proposals, my colleagues will agree that never again should a woman be prosecuted for ending her own pregnancy in England and Wales.' The issue most recently came to the fore earlier this month with the case of a woman who took medication at home during a coronavirus lockdown in 2020. Nicola Packer, 45, was cleared by a jury last week of 'unlawfully administering to herself a poison or other noxious thing' with the 'intent to procure a miscarriage'. She had taken prescribed abortion medicine when she was around 26 weeks pregnant, beyond the legal limit of 10 weeks for taking such medication at home. She told jurors she did not realise she had been pregnant for more than 10 weeks. Following the trial, her friend said she had been 'persecuted' for a 'tragic accident', while the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (Rcog) claimed the trial showed 'just how outdated and harmful' current abortion law is as they backed calls for reform. The case of Carla Foster, jailed in 2023 for illegally obtaining abortion tablets to end her pregnancy when she was between 32 and 34 weeks pregnant, eventually saw her sentence reduced by the Court of Appeal and suspended, with senior judges saying that sending women to prison for abortion-related offences is 'unlikely' to be a 'just outcome'. The amendment on decriminalisation is said to have the support of more than 60 cross-party MPs and backers hope for a vote on it as early as next month. The latest attempt follows repeated calls to repeal sections of the 19th-century law – the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act – after abortion was decriminalised in Northern Ireland in 2019. MPs had been due to debate similar amendments removing the threat of prosecution against women who act in relation to their own pregnancy at any stage, but these did not take place after Parliament was dissolved last summer for the general election. It is expected a separate amendment could be published by a group led by fellow Labour MP Stella Creasy, to not only decriminalise abortion but to 'lock in' the right of someone to have one and protect those who help them. Ms Creasy last week said the law must be changed so that 'the right to choose is a human right', ensuring no repeat of 'such awful cases and victimisation of vulnerable women again'. The amendment would not cover Scotland, where a group is currently undertaking work to review the law as it stands there. Last month, Scotland's women's health minister, Jenni Minto, said she was 'disappointed' that some still have to travel to England for late-term abortions, amid concerns that women in Scotland can only have a termination after 20 weeks in cases where there is either a foetal abnormality or the woman's life is at risk. Louise McCudden, from provider MSI Reproductive Choices, said: 'No-one should face criminal prosecution for ending their own pregnancy. Our Victorian abortion laws are not only outdated, but inconsistent, with abortion now decriminalised in Northern Ireland but not in England, Wales, or Scotland. 'As one of the world's largest abortion providers, we're deeply concerned to see so many women face prosecution, even jail, in Britain.'
Rhyl Journal
14-05-2025
- Health
- Rhyl Journal
Campaigners say women deserve better as they seek to decriminalise abortion
Organisations say more than 100 women are believed to have been investigated by the police in recent years under the current 164-year-old law, which sees abortion in England and Wales remain a criminal offence. It is legal with an authorised provider up to 24 weeks, with very limited circumstances allowing one after this time, such as when the mother's life is at risk or the child would be born with a severe disability. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (Bpas) is backing a new amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, brought by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, stating that 'no offence is committed by a woman acting in relation to her own pregnancy'. The group said the change would do away with the threat of investigation, arrest, prosecution or imprisonment currently faced by some women. It insisted it would not change any law regarding the provision of abortion services within a healthcare setting, including the time limit, the grounds for abortion or the requirement for the approval of two doctors. It said anyone, including a medical professional, who assisted a woman in obtaining an abortion outside the law would remain liable for prosecution. Bpas said: 'For every woman who ends up in court, at least 10 others are subjected to prolonged police investigations which can prevent them from getting the mental health support they desperately need and which have resulted in existing children being separated from women whose cases never make it to court. Women deserve better.' Ms Antoniazzi said the current law is 'unacceptable', adding: 'There is simply no world in which prosecuting a vulnerable woman who may have experienced a medical complication, miscarriage or stillbirth is the right course of action.' She said her amendment, laid before Parliament on Tuesday, is 'tightly drawn – not changing anything about provision of abortion care, the time limit, the right to conscientious objection or any other aspects of abortion law'. She added: 'I am confident that, when Parliament has the opportunity to vote on these proposals, my colleagues will agree that never again should a woman be prosecuted for ending her own pregnancy in England and Wales.' The issue most recently came to the fore earlier this month with the case of a woman who took medication at home during a coronavirus lockdown in 2020. Nicola Packer, 45, was cleared by a jury last week of 'unlawfully administering to herself a poison or other noxious thing' with the 'intent to procure a miscarriage'. She had taken prescribed abortion medicine when she was around 26 weeks pregnant, beyond the legal limit of 10 weeks for taking such medication at home. She told jurors she did not realise she had been pregnant for more than 10 weeks. Following the trial, her friend said she had been 'persecuted' for a 'tragic accident', while the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (Rcog) claimed the trial showed 'just how outdated and harmful' current abortion law is as they backed calls for reform. The case of Carla Foster, jailed in 2023 for illegally obtaining abortion tablets to end her pregnancy when she was between 32 and 34 weeks pregnant, eventually saw her sentence reduced by the Court of Appeal and suspended, with senior judges saying that sending women to prison for abortion-related offences is 'unlikely' to be a 'just outcome'. The amendment on decriminalisation is said to have the backing of more than 50 cross-party MPs. The latest attempt follows repeated calls to repeal sections of the 19th-century law – the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act – after abortion was decriminalised in Northern Ireland in 2019. MPs had been due to debate similar amendments removing the threat of prosecution against women who act in relation to their own pregnancy at any stage, but these did not take place after Parliament was dissolved last summer for the general election. It is expected a separate amendment could be published by a group led by fellow Labour MP Stella Creasy, to not only decriminalise abortion but to 'lock in' the right of someone to have one and protect those who help them. Ms Creasy last week said the law must be changed so that 'the right to choose is a human right', ensuring no repeat of 'such awful cases and victimisation of vulnerable women again'. The amendment would not cover Scotland, where a group is currently undertaking work to review the law as it stands there. Last month, Scotland's women's health minister, Jenni Minto, said she was 'disappointed' that some still have to travel to England for late-term abortions, amid concerns that women in Scotland can only have a termination after 20 weeks in cases where there is either a foetal abnormality or the woman's life is at risk. Louise McCudden, from provider MSI Reproductive Choices, said: 'No-one should face criminal prosecution for ending their own pregnancy. Our Victorian abortion laws are not only outdated, but inconsistent, with abortion now decriminalised in Northern Ireland but not in England, Wales, or Scotland. 'As one of the world's largest abortion providers, we're deeply concerned to see so many women face prosecution, even jail, in Britain.'
