The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) is calling on Members of the House of Lords to support Clause 191 of the Crime and Policing Bill, which would remove women from the criminal law related to abortion.
In June, MPs sent a clear message that abortion is healthcare, not a crime, reflecting public opinion that women’s reproductive rights matter. As the Bill progresses through the House of Lords, the RCOG is urging Peers to follow suit and back this vital clause to ensure women are no longer subject to criminal investigation or prosecution for ending their own pregnancy.
Alongside Clause 191, the RCOG is calling on Peers to support amendments that would immediately halt all ongoing police investigations into women following abortion or pregnancy loss and would pardon women previously prosecuted under outdated and unjust abortion laws.
Stopping ongoing police investigations into women
There has been a concerning rise in cases where women have been investigated by the police - including following miscarriage or premature labour. Many of these investigations never lead to prosecution, yet they can take months or years to resolve, inflicting lasting trauma and harm on women and their families.
Every ongoing investigation represents a failure of compassion and a breach of women’s reproductive rights. It is not in the public interest to criminalise women for ending their own pregnancies. Women should be treated with care, dignity and support - not judgement or the threat of imprisonment.
Addressing the lasting harm of past convictions
Women who have been convicted continue to live with the lifelong consequences of a criminal record. These convictions represent a profound injustice.
Historical pardons are about recognising past injustice, restoring dignity, and ensuring no one carries lifelong legal consequences for something that should never have been treated as a crime.
Dr Alison Wright, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said:
“Unless Clause 191 is supported at the highest level, women may continue to face police investigations lasting many years, criminal charges, and even custodial sentences, solely for ending their own pregnancy.
“These unnecessary punishments typically affect women at the most vulnerable times in their lives, and have no place in our modern, compassionate healthcare system.
“The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is calling on all Peers, to ensure that women will no longer live with the fear of a criminal sanction for making decisions about their own healthcare.”
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