Ministers urged to relax abortion laws in Great Britain after woman jailed
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Labour MP criticises ‘chilling’ effect of legislation amid anger at sentence for termination outside time limit.
By Ben Quinn
Ministers are facing calls to ‘step up’ and decriminalise abortion in Great Britain after a woman was jailed for terminating her pregnancy, as an influential Labour MP said she hoped her party would act if it won power.
The call by Dame Diana Johnson, who previously tried to repeal the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act with a backbench bill, said ministers should act to change laws that were also having a ‘chilling’ effect on doctors, midwives and others.
Caroline Nokes, the Conservative chair of the Commons women and equalities committee, said abortion legislation was ‘very out of date’ and should be overhauled, after a woman was jailed for procuring drugs to induce an abortion after the legal limit.
There was outrage on Monday after the woman, a mother of three, was sentenced.
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