Women who have been convicted of illegal abortions in the UK will now be pardoned after legislation passed its final hurdle in the UK parliament on 17 April 2026, bringing an end to the prosecution of women who terminate their own pregnancies in England.
The new law will expunge the convictions of women who have been found guilty of procuring an illegal abortion, a move that campaigners have hailed as a major step forward for women's rights. The legislation has been hailed as a landmark change in the law, one that will bring the UK into line with other countries that have already decriminalised abortion. The law will apply to women who have been convicted of offences related to abortion, including those who have been found guilty of procuring an illegal abortion or of supplying drugs or equipment to procure an abortion. This change in the law is expected to affect hundreds of women who have been convicted of these offences in the past.
The passing of this law is significant because it acknowledges that women who have been convicted of illegal abortions have been victims of circumstance and outdated laws. For decades, women in the UK have been forced to resort to backstreet abortions or travel abroad to access safe and legal abortion services. This has led to a significant number of women being prosecuted and convicted of offences related to abortion. The new law will help to address this injustice and ensure that women are no longer punished for making choices about their own bodies. The law change also reflects a shift in societal attitudes towards abortion, with many people now recognising that women should have the right to make their own choices about their reproductive health.
The implications of this law change are far-reaching, with campaigners hoping that it will pave the way for further reforms to the UK's abortion laws. The law change is also expected to have a significant impact on women's health, as it will help to reduce the number of women who are forced to resort to unsafe and illegal abortion services. The government has said that it will work to implement the new law as soon as possible, with the aim of expunging the convictions of women who have been affected by the old laws. The law change has been welcomed by women's rights groups and health organisations, who have campaigned for years for the decriminalisation of abortion in the UK.
