A woman has her vitals checked before receiving an abortion at a Planned Parenthood clinic, July 20, 2022. Photo by Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images.
London (Epicstorian News) — The United Kingdom’s Parliament is engaged in a prominent legislative debate over a major reform to national abortion law that could remove criminal penalties for women who terminate their pregnancies at any stage before birth.
What Is Clause 191 and How Did It Arise?
Clause 191 was introduced during consideration of the Crime and Policing Bill in the House of Commons by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi.
It proposes removing women from the criminal law related to abortion as it applies to their own pregnancies, including at later stages. In June 2025, Members of Parliament voted in favour of this amendment by a majority of 379 to 137.
The vote represented a significant shift in legal policy by reducing the possibility of criminal prosecution for self‑directed abortions outside the existing legal framework. This vote was confirmed in parliamentary records and media reporting.
Clause 191 now forms part of the Crime and Policing Bill as it moves to the House of Lords for further scrutiny. In the Lords, peers are considering whether to retain, amend, or remove this clause as part of their revising role.
Existing Law: Abortion Act 1967 and Notices
Under current UK law, the Abortion Act 1967 legalised abortion under certain conditions when carried out by registered medical practitioners with the agreement of two doctors.
The Act generally applies to England and Wales, specifies conditions under which pregnancy termination is lawful, and incorporates safeguards from older legislation.
Prior to the 2025 amendment, it remained possible under existing law for late‑term abortions to be performed in specific circumstances, such as serious threats to the woman’s health or fetal abnormality.
The law also preserves provisions in the Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929, which creates the offence of child destruction if a viable fetus is intentionally destroyed outside the terms of the 1967 Act.
What Would Decriminalisation Change?
If Clause 191 remains in the final form of the Crime and Policing Bill and becomes law, it would remove the threat of criminal investigation, prosecution, and custodial sentence for women who end their own pregnancies at any stage, regardless of gestational age.
Supporters argue this is a necessary modernization of the law to align with current healthcare practice and public opinion, and to ensure women are treated as patients rather than potential criminal defendants.
Legal analyses note that this change would not automatically alter clinical governance, existing medical protocols, or regulatory standards for the provision of abortion in healthcare settings. Medical professionals and providers would still be bound by professional and statutory frameworks governing safe practice.
Positions of Key Stakeholders
Support from Medical Bodies
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has publicly called on the House of Lords to back Clause 191. The College argues that criminal sanctions attached to abortion are outdated, stigmatize women, and deter access to safe care.
RCOG leaders maintain that abortion should be regarded as healthcare and that the removal of criminal penalties would protect women from prosecution and allow healthcare guidance to operate within regulatory, not criminal, structures.
Parliamentary Opponents in the House of Lords
Several members of the House of Lords have voiced opposition or concerns about the clause. Critics point out that the legislative process for the amendment was limited in public consultation and parliamentary scrutiny.
They also raise questions about whether removing criminal law in this context might have unintended implications for legal protection of viable unborn life and for women’s medical safety.
Peers including Baroness Monckton and Baroness Stroud have tabled amendments to remove Clause 191 or reintroduce requirements such as in‑person medical consultations before at‑home abortions.
Civil Society and Religious Voices
Some civil society organisations and faith leaders have expressed opposition to the decriminalisation clause and urged peers to act to overturn it. Statements have emphasized the need for legal safeguards for both women and unborn children and have called for compassionate social support. Statements from groups such as the Catholic Bishops’ Conference echo these concerns.
Public Opinion and Polling
While comprehensive nationwide polling data can vary by question and methodology, some polls commissioned by advocacy organisations suggest that a majority of UK adults believe certain time limits on abortion should remain in place, with comparatively few supporting the removal of all gestational limits. These figures illustrate that public attitudes on abortion law reform remain complex and not uniform.
Legal and Policy Implications
Removing criminal penalties for women would represent the most substantial change to UK abortion law in decades, since the introduction of the Abortion Act 1967.
The bill’s progress through Parliament will determine whether this becomes statutory law and how related safeguards and medical standards are managed. If Clause 191 is amended or removed by the House of Lords, Parliament could return it to the Commons for further consideration.
Legal scholars have observed that decriminalisation is distinct from deregulation. The healthcare and professional regulatory environment would remain significant in determining how abortion services are provided and monitored.
The legislative change primarily affects the criminal liability of individuals rather than altering clinical governance frameworks.
Legislative Process
The Crime and Policing Bill, including Clause 191, continues through the House of Lords, where peers may propose amendments. Votes in committee and report stages will shape the final form of the legislation.
If the Lords amends the clause or rejects it, the Commons may need to consider those changes. Following successful passage through both Houses, the bill requires Royal Assent to become law.
The UK’s debates on abortion law occur amid global variations in reproductive rights and legal frameworks. Abortion law reform is an ongoing issue in many countries, with differing models for regulating access, criminal sanctions, and healthcare provision.
Clause 191 in the Crime and Policing Bill has catalysed a substantive debate in UK politics about the nature and scope of abortion law, criminal sanction, and healthcare regulation.
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The outcome will have significant implications for legal practice, medical governance, and public policy.
Ongoing discussions in the House of Lords and among stakeholders across the political spectrum suggest this debate will remain influential in UK lawmaking throughout 2026.
