Staff Reporter, Daily Dawn + Dawn TV Report
London: A historic amendment to the law has been passed in the UK to decriminalize abortion.
In a historic vote today, MPs approved the decriminalization of abortion.
The amendment bill was introduced by Labour Party MP Tonya Antoniazzi, with 379 votes in favor and 137 against.
The amendment still needs to be approved by the House of Commons and the House of Lords to become law.
Later, Royal Assent is also required, after which it will become law, but due to the government’s majority, there is no obstacle in its way.
The amendment to the law is being considered the most important step in the protection of women’s reproductive rights in the last six decades.
It should be noted that under the UK’s Crime and Policing Bill, these women will not face criminal prosecution for abortion in England and Wales.
Previously, women could be sentenced to life imprisonment in such cases.
After the amendment to this law, the current legal requirements for abortion, such as the approval of two doctors and a specific time limit, will now remain in place.
A doctor can be punished for performing an abortion without the approval of two doctors and after the specified period.
However, women will not face criminal penalties such as arrest, trial or imprisonment.
Before this amendment, several cases were filed against women in previous years who had abortions that exceeded the legal limit.
A woman named Carla Foster was sentenced to 28 months in prison in 2023 for terminating a pregnancy between 32 and 34 weeks.
Similarly, a woman named Bethany Cox was tried for three years, which was dropped in 2024 without any evidence.
Another woman, Nicola Peker, was acquitted in a similar case after 5 years.
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