Greater than 50 cross-party MPs again modification to decriminalise abortion | Abortion

An modification proposing to decriminalise abortion has been tabled in parliament, backed by a gaggle of greater than 50 cross-party MPs.

Put ahead by the MP Tonia Antoniazzi, it’s supported by a number of of her Labour colleagues together with John McDonnell, Nadia Whittome, Jess Asato and Antonia Bance.

It has the backing of Liberal Democrats together with Christine Jardine, Wera Hobhouse and Daisy Cooper, in addition to the Inexperienced get together’s Siân Berry and Carla Denyer, Sorcha Eastwood from the Alliance get together, and Liz Saville-Roberts and Llinos Medi from Plaid Cymru. Conservative MP Caroline Dineage additionally added her identify to the modification, in addition to Claire Hanna from the SDLP.

Antoniazzi’s modification seeks to take away “ladies from the legal legislation associated to abortion”, and would imply “no offence is dedicated by a lady appearing in relation to her personal being pregnant”.

It will imply ladies would not be criminalised underneath the Offences In opposition to the Individual Act 1861, the piece of Victorian laws that the majority current abortion instances have been prosecuted underneath.

Nor would they be criminalised underneath the Toddler Life (Preservation) Act 1929, which carries the offence of “youngster destruction”.

The modification, to the federal government’s crime and policing invoice, follows on from one the Labour MP Diana Johnson, now a House Workplace minister, had tried to place ahead to the final Conservative authorities’s legal justice invoice, however which was by no means voted on because the laws fell as a result of a common election was referred to as.

Antoniazzi mentioned she had put ahead the modification as a result of a change within the legislation “is important”.

“We’ve seen a pointy rise within the variety of ladies and ladies going through legal investigations following being pregnant loss and abortion,” she mentioned. “It’s simply unsuitable to place ladies on this state of affairs, to place them into the legal justice system, as a result of this isn’t a legal legislation problem, that is basically a healthcare matter.”

She added: “I discover it unbelievable that within the final 5 years, round 100 ladies have been investigated by the police. It’s simply unsuitable. It’s a waste of taxpayers’ cash, it’s a waste of the judiciary’s time, and it’s not within the public curiosity. Subsequently, the legislation has to alter.”

The latest lady to be prosecuted, Nicola Packer, 45, spent virtually 5 years ready for her case to come back to court docket, earlier than being unanimously cleared by a jury at Isleworth crown court docket final week. Antoniazzi attended court docket for a day of the trial together with her colleague Tracy Gilbert MP to help Packer.

“I feel it’s, it’s completely, completely disgraceful that she was put on this place, and disgrace on these people who introduced this case ahead,” Antoniazzi mentioned.

The modification, which if handed might turn out to be legislation as early as this summer season, mirrors Johnson’s earlier modification, Antoniazzi mentioned, and “doesn’t change something in regards to the provision of abortion companies”.

Quite than searching for to create a brand new framework, it retains the present abortion legislation, she mentioned: “There’s no change to cut-off dates, and likewise how ladies entry care, the necessity for 2 physician signatures.”

A change to the legislation is being supported by skilled our bodies together with the British Medical Affiliation, the Royal School of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Royal School of Midwives, the Royal School of Nursing, and the Royal School of Common Practitioners.

“This can be a easy modification that appears after ladies, which is our principal purpose right here, to ensure that they don’t seem to be criminalised for one thing that isn’t within the public curiosity,” Antoniazzi mentioned.

“It’s of their curiosity that we ensure that these ladies get the precise help, the precise assist, and usually are not reported to the police for a being pregnant loss, a miscarriage, or a state of affairs that they discover themselves in that has turn out to be unimaginable,” she added.

“These ladies are susceptible. They want our assist, they usually don’t need to have their lives ruined.”