Abortion Act 1967
Encyclopedia
The Abortion Act 1967 is an Act
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
legalising abortions by registered practitioners, and regulating the free provision of such medical practices through the National Health Service
(NHS).
It was introduced by David Steel
as a Private Member's Bill
, but was backed by the government, and after a heated debate and a free vote was passed on 27 October 1967, coming into effect on 27 April 1968.
The Act made abortion legal in the UK up to 28 weeks gestation. In 1990, the law was amended by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act
so that abortion was no longer legal after 24 weeks except in cases where it was necessary to save the life of the woman, there was evidence of extreme fetal abnormality, or there was a grave risk of physical or mental injury to the woman.
In May 2008, there was debate over whether the limit should be reduced from 24 to either 22 or 20 weeks but no changes were made.
The Act does not extend to Northern Ireland, where abortion is illegal unless the doctor acts "only to save the life of the mother" or if continuing the pregnancy would result in the pregnant woman becoming a "physical or mental wreck." The situation is the same as it was in England before the introduction of the Abortion Act 1967. The Offences against the Person Act 1861
and the Criminal Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 1945
remain in full force.
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
legalising abortions by registered practitioners, and regulating the free provision of such medical practices through the National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
(NHS).
It was introduced by David Steel
David Steel
David Martin Scott Steel, Baron Steel of Aikwood, KT, KBE, PC is a British Liberal Democrat politician who served as the Leader of the Liberal Party from 1976 until its merger with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the Liberal Democrats...
as a Private Member's Bill
Private Member's Bill
A member of parliament’s legislative motion, called a private member's bill or a member's bill in some parliaments, is a proposed law introduced by a member of a legislature. In most countries with a parliamentary system, most bills are proposed by the government, not by individual members of the...
, but was backed by the government, and after a heated debate and a free vote was passed on 27 October 1967, coming into effect on 27 April 1968.
The Act made abortion legal in the UK up to 28 weeks gestation. In 1990, the law was amended by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990
The 1990 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-Coverage:The act covers several areas:# The licensing of human fertility treatment involving the use of donated genetic material ....
so that abortion was no longer legal after 24 weeks except in cases where it was necessary to save the life of the woman, there was evidence of extreme fetal abnormality, or there was a grave risk of physical or mental injury to the woman.
In May 2008, there was debate over whether the limit should be reduced from 24 to either 22 or 20 weeks but no changes were made.
The Act does not extend to Northern Ireland, where abortion is illegal unless the doctor acts "only to save the life of the mother" or if continuing the pregnancy would result in the pregnant woman becoming a "physical or mental wreck." The situation is the same as it was in England before the introduction of the Abortion Act 1967. The Offences against the Person Act 1861
Offences Against The Person Act 1861
The Offences against the Person Act 1861 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It consolidated provisions related to offences against the person from a number of earlier statutes into a single Act...
and the Criminal Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 1945
Criminal Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 1945
The Criminal Justice Act 1945 is an Act of the Parliament of Northern Ireland.Section 25 of the Act creates the offence of child destruction, which states:...
remain in full force.
External links
- UK Parliament Inquiry: Scientific developments relating to the Abortion Act 1967, House of Commons Press Notice, 20 June 2007.