Press releases

Dame Diana Johnson has tonight put forward an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill to remove women from the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 and the Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929 in relation to their own pregnancies.

Over many years, clinics and hospitals have been targeted by anti-abortion groups who want to dissuade or deter women from accessing legal abortion care. In the five months since the law passed, fifteen clinics which serve thousands of women have been targeted by anti-abortion groups.

Findings from the 10th MBRRACE-UK report of Saving Lives, Improving Mothers' Care raise serious issues surrounding how the risks and benefits of medications, including vaccination, are communicated to women in relation to pregnancy, with concerns about potential harm to the fetus sometimes outweighing the health needs of women themselves.

Today, the Safe Access Zones Bill, which will bring in areas around healthcare premises that provide abortion care where certain types of activity are not allowed, has been introduced to the Scottish Parliament. The bill, led by Gillian Mackay MSP, would bring the law in Scotland into line with that in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland to protect women and healthcare professionals from harassment while accessing or providing essential healthcare.

We’re delighted to see women in Northern Ireland will be protected from anti-abortion harassment outside healthcare facilities. Northern Ireland is leading the way with this type of national protection, but we are pleased that thanks to a law passed earlier this year England and Wales will soon be introducing similar zones, and Scotland will be set to debate a bill in the coming months.

New polling from the National Centre for Social Research finds that support for a woman's right to choose is at a record high.