Abortion in the United Kingdom information

Abortion in the United Kingdom is de facto available under the terms of the Abortion Act 1967 in Great Britain and the Abortion (Northern Ireland) (No.2) Regulations 2020 in Northern Ireland. The procurement of an abortion remains a criminal offence in Great Britain under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, although the Abortion Act provides a legal defence for both the pregnant woman and her doctor in certain cases. Although a number of abortions did take place before the 1967 Act, there have been around 10 million abortions in the United Kingdom.^[1] Around 200,000 abortions are carried out in England and Wales each year and just under 14,000 in Scotland; the most common reason cited under the ICD-10 classification system for around 98% of all abortions is "risk to woman's mental health."^[2]

Across the United Kingdom, abortion is permitted on the grounds of:

risk to the life of the pregnant woman;
preventing grave permanent injury to her physical or mental health;
risk of injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman or any existing children of her family (up to a term limit of 24 weeks of gestation); or
substantial risk that, if the child were born, they would "suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped".^[3]

The third ground is typically interpreted liberally with regards to mental health to create a de facto elective abortion service; 98% of the approximately quarter-million abortions performed in Great Britain are done so for that reason.^[2]^[4]

In Northern Ireland, abortion is also permitted within the first 12 weeks of a pregnancy for any reason.^[5]

Under the UK's devolution settlements, abortion policy is devolved to the Scottish Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly but not to the Welsh Parliament (Senedd). Abortion was previously highly restricted in Northern Ireland although it was permitted in limited cases. In 2019, during a time when the Assembly was not operating, the UK Parliament repealed most restrictions on abortion in Northern Ireland; the current Regulations were subsequently introduced by Parliament in 2020.^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]

Abortions which are carried out for grounds outside those permitted in law (e.g. in most cases after the 24-week term limit, or where appropriate consent has not been given) continue to be unlawful in each jurisdiction of the UK – under the Offences against the Person Act 1861 in England and Wales, Scottish common law, and the Northern Ireland Regulations. The Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929 and the Criminal Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 1945 also outlaw child destruction in cases outside the grounds permitted in abortion law. Proposals to fully decriminalise abortion in Great Britain have occurred in 2024.^[9]

^ "Factchecking campaigning leaflets on abortion". Full Fact. 8 March 2018. p. English. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference stats was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ This article incorporates text published under the British Open Government Licence v3.0: "Abortion Act 1967 (as amended)". www.legislation.gov.uk. National Archives. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
^ Calkin, Sydney; Berny, Ella (19 August 2021). "Legal and non-legal barriers to abortion in Ireland and the United Kingdom". Medicine Access @ Point of Care. 5: 239920262110400. doi:10.1177/23992026211040023. ISSN 2399-2026. PMC 9413599. PMID 36204506. S2CID 238942663.
^ ^a ^b This article incorporates text published under the British Open Government Licence v3.0: "Abortion (Northern Ireland) (No. 2) Regulations 2020". www.legislation.gov.uk. National Archives. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
^ "NI abortion: Guidelines issued ahead of 21 October deadline". BBC News. 8 October 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
^ Simpson, Claire; McHugh, Michael (31 March 2020). "New abortion laws allow unrestricted terminations up to 12 weeks". Irish News.
^ ITV (31 March 2020). "New abortion laws come into force in Northern Ireland". ITV News.
^ Shirreff, Lauren. "Abortion restrictions could be eased in historic vote". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 23 February 2024.

[1] "Factchecking campaigning leaflets on abortion". Full Fact. 8 March 2018. p. English. Retrieved 8 March 2018.

[stats-2] Cite error: The named reference stats was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[1967act-3] This article incorporates text published under the British Open Government Licence v3.0: "Abortion Act 1967 (as amended)". www.legislation.gov.uk. National Archives. Retrieved 6 July 2019.

[4] Calkin, Sydney; Berny, Ella (19 August 2021). "Legal and non-legal barriers to abortion in Ireland and the United Kingdom". Medicine Access @ Point of Care. 5: 239920262110400. doi:10.1177/23992026211040023. ISSN 2399-2026. PMC 9413599. PMID 36204506. S2CID 238942663.

[2020niregsfinal-5] This article incorporates text published under the British Open Government Licence v3.0: "Abortion (Northern Ireland) (No. 2) Regulations 2020". www.legislation.gov.uk. National Archives. Retrieved 11 August 2022.

[6] "NI abortion: Guidelines issued ahead of 21 October deadline". BBC News. 8 October 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2019.

[niabortion-7] Simpson, Claire; McHugh, Michael (31 March 2020). "New abortion laws allow unrestricted terminations up to 12 weeks". Irish News.

[niabortionlegal-8] ITV (31 March 2020). "New abortion laws come into force in Northern Ireland". ITV News.

[9] Shirreff, Lauren. "Abortion restrictions could be eased in historic vote". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 23 February 2024.

Abortion in the United Kingdom information

and 24 Related for: Abortion in the United Kingdom information

Abortion in the United Kingdom

Abortion in the United States

Demographics of the United Kingdom

Abortion Act 1967

List of countries by abortion rate

History of abortion

Abortion in Europe

Abortion in the Netherlands

Teenage pregnancy in the United Kingdom

Abortion in Germany

Abortion in France

Abortion statistics in the United States

Trial of Carla Foster

Abortion in the Philippines

Abortion law

Medical abortion

Abortion in Canada

List of pressure groups in the United Kingdom

Abortion in Ireland

Abortion

Abortion in Japan

2023 in the United Kingdom

Abortion in China

Abortion in Israel

Politics of the United Kingdom
This article is part of a series on

Constitution Magna Carta Bill of Rights Treaty of Union (Acts of Union) Parliamentary sovereignty Rule of law Separation of powers Other constitutional principles
The Crown The Monarch (list) Charles III Heir apparent William, Prince of Wales Royal family Succession Prerogative Counsellors of State Republicanism in the United Kingdom
Executive Privy Council Charles III (King-in-Council) HM Government Cabinet (list) Sunak ministry (C) Prime Minister (list) Rishi Sunak (C) Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden (C) Departments Ministers Agencies
Legislature UK Parliament (King-in-Parliament) King Charles III House of Lords Lord Speaker The Lord McFall of Alcluith House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle Leader of the Opposition Sir Keir Starmer (L) 58th Parliament Opposition MPs List of MPs
Judiciary Charles III (King-on-the-Bench) Supreme Court President The Lord Reed of Allermuir Deputy President Lord Hodge Justices of the Supreme Court United Kingdom England and Wales Scotland Northern Ireland
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey Deputy governors Monetary Policy Committee Currencies Banknotes Coins
Elections and referendums UK Parliament constituencies (2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies) Political parties Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022 Scottish Parliament constituencies and electoral regions Senedd constituencies and electoral regions UK general elections 1801 co-option 1802 1806 1807 1812 1818 1820 1826 1830 1831 1832–33 1835 1837 1841 1847 1852 1857 1859 1865 1868 1874 1880 1885 1886 1892 1895 1900 1906 1910 (Jan–Feb) 1910 (Dec) 1918 1922 1923 1924 1929 1931 1935 1945 1950 1951 1955 1959 1964 1966 1970 1974 (Feb) 1974 (Oct) 1979 1983 1987 1992 1997 2001 2005 2010 2015 2017 2019 Next European Parliament elections (1979–2019) 1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2014 2019 Scottish Parliament elections 1999 2003 2007 2011 2016 2021 Next Northern Ireland Assembly elections 1998 2003 2007 2011 2016 2017 2022 Next Senedd elections 1999 2003 2007 2011 2016 2021 Next UK referendums 1975 2011 2016
Devolution Intergovernmental relations in the United Kingdom Legislative consent motions England Governance of England English votes for English laws Greater London Authority 1998 referendum Greater London Authority Act 1999 (2007 Act) Mayor of London Sadiq Khan Mayoral cabinet London Assembly London Plan Combined authorities Metro mayors Cornwall Council Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Act 1998 (2006 Act) First Minister Michelle O'Neill deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly Executive Assembly Act of the Northern Ireland Assembly Law of Northern Ireland Scotland Scottish devolution 1997 referendum Scotland Act 1998 (2012 Act, 2016 Act) First Minister Humza Yousaf Government Scottish Parliament Act of the Scottish Parliament Scottish statutory instrument Scots law Wales Welsh devolution 1997 referendum (2011 referendum on law-making powers) Government of Wales Act 1998 (2006 Act, Wales Act 2014, Wales Act 2017) First Minister Vaughan Gething Government Senedd Measure of the National Assembly for Wales (1999–2011) Act of Senedd Cymru Welsh law
Administration England History Subdivisions: Regions Ceremonial counties (list) Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties Metropolitan county Non-metropolitan county Greater London Unitary authorities (list) Districts (list) Metropolitan Borough Non-metropolitan District London Borough Civil parishes (list) Historic counties Northern Ireland History Subdivisions: Counties Districts Scotland History Subdivisions: Sheriffdoms Council areas Community council areas Civil parishes Shires of Scotland Wales History Preserved counties Principal areas Communities (list) Historic counties
Crown Dependencies Bailiwick of Guernsey (Guernsey Alderney Sark) Bailiwick of Jersey Isle of Man British Islands Common Travel Area
Overseas Territories Akrotiri and Dhekelia Anguilla Bermuda British Antarctic Territory British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Falkland Islands Gibraltar Montserrat Pitcairn Islands Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (Saint Helena Ascension Island Tristan da Cunha) South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Turks and Caicos Islands British Overseas Territories citizen Visa requirements Visa policies British Overseas Territories Act 2002 UK-OT JMC Chagos Archipelago sovereignty dispute Gibraltar sovereignty dispute Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute
Foreign relations Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Foreign policy (history) Diplomatic missions of / in the United Kingdom UK passport British National (Overseas) passport Visa requirements UK–CD Customs Union Visa policy Free trade agreements Australia Barbados Belgium Belize Brunei Canada China Hong Kong Cyprus Denmark France Germany India Israel Italy Japan Kenya Malaysia Malta Netherlands New Zealand Norway Russia Saudi Arabia Singapore Spain South Africa Palestine Pakistan Poland Portugal United States Zimbabwe Ireland politics of Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement UK–Ireland border Northern Ireland Protocol British–Irish Council European Union (history) Brexit Post-Brexit United Kingdom relations with the European Union UK–EU withdrawal agreement The Commonwealth member states United Kingdom and the United Nations United Nations Security Council P5 NATO G20 G7
United Kingdom portal England Northern Ireland Scotland Wales Other countries
v t e