UK Parliament Votes to End Prosecution of Abortion

The UK House of Commons has voted decisively—379 to 137—to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales, removing criminal penalties for women terminating pregnancies at any stage.

The amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill ensures women cannot be investigated, arrested, prosecuted or imprisoned under the 1861 law, although clinical safeguards, including the 24‑week limit and two‑doctor approval, remain unchanged.

The reform responds to around 100 recent investigations and high‑profile cases such as Nicola Packer’s.

The revised legislation will next proceed to the House of Lords, where its passage is all but assured.