House of Lords urged to reject ‘dangerous’ decriminalisation of abortion up to birth

The House of Lords will vote on Wednesday 18 March on the Crime and Policing Bill, which could lead to the decriminalisation of abortion at any point up to birth.

Archbishop of Liverpool John Sherrington, the lead bishop for life issues, urged peers to support Baroness Rosa Monckton’s amendment to remove clause 208, which would decriminalise abortion at any stage in pregnancy, from the bill.

Although the clause does not change the 24-week abortion limit, it decriminalises “a woman acting in relation to her own pregnancy” at any stage in pregnancy, so that those who end their pregnancy at home after the limit would not face charges.

“If not removed, this clause would represent a radical departure from our current law, further threatening the dignity of the unborn child,” said Archbishop Sherrington. “The clause is not supported by the British public.

“Apart from the further threat clause 208 poses to the lives of unborn babies and the health of their mothers, this change would leave women more susceptible to coercion and abuse.”

Archbishop Sherrington also called for the “pills-by-post” scheme, which since the pandemic has allowed women to abort at home without first seeing doctors face-to-face, to be abolished and asked peers to vote in favour of Baroness Philippa Stroud’s amendment to reinstate mandatory in-person medical consultations for women seeking abortions.

“As well as leading to an increase in abortions in general, pills-by-post has led to a number of late-term, at-home abortions, which have also put the health of the mother in serious danger,” Archbishop Sherrington warned.

He prayed the legislators and for a healthcare system that respects the dignity of both mother and baby.

“We acknowledge the efforts of many peers who relentlessly fight toward attaining this goal, as well as the many individuals and organisations that offer real and compassionate support to pregnant women in difficulty,” he said. “St Joseph, protector of pregnant women and the unborn, pray for us.”

“I was pleased to speak for many peers and, I believe, most of the country in opposing the extreme proposal to remove the legal deterrent against women aborting their babies up to birth,” Baroness Monckton said.

“Such a change in the law would seriously endanger women’s lives because of the risks of self-induced late-term abortions away from a clinical context, and likely lead to increased numbers of viable babies’ lives being ended.

“It would also decriminalise self-induced sex-selective abortions. I very much hope peers will support my amendment at Report stage and stop these proposals from becoming law.”

Baroness Margaret Eaton warned of “the likely tragic unintended consequences should the clause become law” and said “neither abortion up to birth nor sex-selective abortion has any place in a civilised country”.

Former Northern Irish First Minister Baroness Arlene Foster, who was a signatory to Baroness Stroud’s amendment to reintroduce in-person consultations with a medical professional before at-home abortions can take place, said, “Decriminalising self-induced abortion to full-term must be one of the most extreme proposals the House of Lords has ever had to debate.

The debate today made it clear that the real problem here is not our already extreme abortion laws, which permit abortions up to nearly six months into pregnancy, but the lack of an in-person consultation with a medical professional before abortion pills are prescribed, allowing women to administer their own abortions beyond the legal limit.

“Reinstating in-person appointments enjoys wide public support and would allow reliable gestational age checks, protecting women from the significant health risks associated with late abortions and from the risk of coercion.”

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