The Decriminalisation of Abortion in the 20th Century

What was the crime of abortion?

Terminating a pregnancy was illegal in Britain and led to some women trying to end their pregnancies in unsafe ways.

When did abortion stop being a crime?

Abortion was decriminalised in 1967.

How was abortion decriminalised?

The 1967 Abortion Act legalised abortion provided certain conditions were met.

What were the conditions for the legalisation of abortion?

Legal abortion was permitted as long as at least one of 3 conditions applied:

• ❖ The child would be born with serious disabilities.
• ❖ The mother would be at risk of serious physical or mental harm if the pregnancy continued; this had to be independently agreed by two doctors.
• ❖ The pregnancy should not have progressed beyond 28 weeks.