UK lawmakers don vote say make dem stop to arrest or jail women for England and Wales wey do abortion, especially dem wey end their own belle by themself. Dis vote na big change for how di UK dey handle abortion mata.
Under di law wey still dey ground now, woman fit go prison for life if she end her pregnancy after 24 weeks or do am without two doctors say make she do am. Di mata don cause wahala again after some recent court cases wey involve women wey do abortion and dem arrest or charge dem.
But on Tuesday, June 17, Members of Parliament (MPs) vote for one new amendment wey Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi bring come. 242 MPs support am pass di people wey no support. Dis amendment no change di main abortion law, but e go make sure say no woman go face criminal case again for ending her own pregnancy — no matter di time.
Di amendment still need final approval from Parliament, and e must pass for House of Lords before e go turn law.
Tonia Antoniazzi talk say, “Women dey get arrested from hospital bed straight to police station, just because say dem end their own pregnancy. Dis amendment go stop all dat one. Na di correct step wey we need now.”
Even though abortion still be crime under one old law — di 1861 Offences Against the Person Act — wey still dey talk say woman fit get life sentence, di Abortion Act of 1967 talk say e dey legal to end belle before 24 weeks if two doctors agree.
After 24 weeks, na only under special condition like if di woman life dey danger or if di pikin get serious disability, dem fit allow abortion. During COVID-19 time, government allow women take abortion pills for house if di belle never pass 10 weeks.
Some recent cases like Nicola Packer own — wey dem acquit after she take abortion drug at 26 weeks — don open eye to di kain wahala women dey face. She talk say she no even know say her pregnancy don reach dat far, and to talk for court na serious trauma for her.
But di Society for the Protection of Unborn Children condemn di amendment. Dem say na “di biggest threat to unborn babies wey don happen for decades.”
Antoniazzi still talk say di amendment no change di law for how abortion services dey work or di time limit. Any person wey help do illegal abortion — including doctor or nurse — still go face arrest and court.
About 50 different organisations, like abortion clinics and women rights groups, support di amendment. Dem say since three years now, six women don face court because of abortion-related mata.
One of dem cases na Carla Foster, wey go prison in 2023 after she take abortion pill at between 32 to 34 weeks belle. Later dem suspend her sentence for appeal.
Antoniazzi still talk say police don investigate over 100 women in five years — including women wey just get miscarriage or stillbirth — because dem suspect illegal abortion. She tell BBC say, “This thing no make sense. Na waste of taxpayers money, waste of court time, and e no even help anybody.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer talk say him support women right to “safe and legal abortion.” Northern Ireland don already remove abortion from crime law since 2019, and Scotland still dey look into how dem own law go be.
