{{Short description|Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom}} {{Use British English|date=August 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox UK legislation |short_title=Abortion Act 1967{{efn|name=st|Section 7(1).}} |type=Act |parliament=Parliament of the United Kingdom |long_title=An Act to amend and clarify the Law relating to termination of pregnancy by registered medical practitioners. |year=1967 |citation=1967 c. 87 |introduced_commons=David Steel |territorial_extent={{ubli|England and Wales|Scotland}}{{efn|Section 7(3).}} |royal_assent=27 October 1967 |commencement=27 April 1968{{efn|Section 7(2).}} |amendments={{ubli|Transfer of Functions (Wales) Order 1969|Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975|Health Services Act 1980|Criminal Justice Act 1982|Transfer of Functions (Health and Social Security) Order 1988|National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990|Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990|Scotland Act 1998 (Consequential Modifications) (No.1) Order 1999|Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003|National Health Service (Consequential Provisions) Act 2006|Health and Social Care Act 2012|Secretaries of State for Health and Social Care and for Housing, Communities and Local Government and Transfer of Functions (Commonhold Land) Order 2018|Health and Care Act 2022}} |related_legislation={{ubli|Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929}} |status=Amended |original_text=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1967/87/contents/enacted |revised_text=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1967/87/contents |use_new_UK-LEG=yes }}
The '''Abortion Act 1967'''{{efn|name=st}} (c. 87) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that legalised abortion in Great Britain on certain grounds by registered practitioners, and regulated the tax-paid provision of such medical practices through the National Health Service (NHS).
The act made it lawful to have an abortion up to the 28th week if two registered medical practitioners believed in good faith that the continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk to the life of the pregnant woman, or harm her physical or mental health, or that of any of her family members. It did not extend to Northern Ireland until the implementation of the Abortion (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2020. Under this legislation, a registered medical professional could terminate a pregnancy where the pregnancy had not exceeded 12 weeks in length, there was a risk to physical or mental health within 24 weeks of pregnancy, or, at any time during pregnancy, where the pregnant woman's life was at immediate risk, there was a risk to the pregnant mother's physical or mental health, or a severe or fatal fetal abnormality had been detected. In the latter two cases, the good faith opinion of two registered medical professionals is required.<ref name="ni_abortion_regs_2020">{{OGL-attribution|version=3.0|{{cite web |title=Abortion (Northern Ireland) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/503/made |website=www.legislation.gov.uk |publisher=National Archives |access-date=3 July 2024}}}}</ref>
==Passage== The bill was introduced by Liberal MP David Steel as a Private Member's Bill after he did well in the ballot for such bills in 1966, coming third.<ref>{{cite book | doi=10.1007/978-1-349-26876-4_3 | chapter=Campaigning for Abortion Law Reform | title=Abortion Law and Politics Today | date=1998 | last1=Cossey | first1=Dilys | pages=20–26 | isbn=978-1-349-26878-8 }}</ref> There had been six earlier attempts to change the law on abortion, starting with an earlier Private Member's Bill from the Labour MP Joseph Reeves in 1952. Labour peer Lewis Silkin had introduced legislation in 1965, but withdrew this once Steel had successfully introduced his motion to the Commons, with Steel's bill being based on Silkin's text.<ref name="paintin">{{Cite web |last=Paintin |first=David |title=Abortion law reform in Britain 1964-2003: a personal account |url=https://www.safeabortionwomensright.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Paintin_memoir.pdf |website=www.safeabortionwomensright.org}}</ref> There had been a long-running campaign supporting the legalisation of abortion in the UK, led by the Abortion Law Reform Association, who had lobbied Steel to use his Private Member's Bill slot on the topic.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.newstatesman.com/comment/2024/11/assisted-dying-advocates-have-much-to-learn-from-the-legalisation-of-abortion | title=Assisted dying advocates have much to learn from the legalisation of abortion | date=20 November 2024 }}</ref>
The proposal was backed by the Labour government, who appointed the president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Sir John Peel, to chair a medical advisory committee that reported in favour of passing the bill.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1506770/Sir-John-Peel.html|title=Obituary" Sir John Peel|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=2 January 2006|access-date=22 December 2012}}</ref> Several members of the government were sympathetic to legalisation, including Roy Jenkins (Home Secretary), Kenneth Robinson (Minister of Health), Richard Crossman (Leader of the House), and John Silkin (Government Chief Whip).<ref name=paintin />
After a further heated political and moral debate, the House of Commons passed it by a vote of 167 to 83 on 13 July 1967.<ref>{{Hansard|url=1967/jul/13/medical-termination-of-pregnancy-bill|access-date=30 July 2023}}</ref> The House of Lords granted it a second reading by a vote of 127 to 21 on 19 July,<ref>{{Hansard|url=1967/jul/19/medical-termination-of-pregnancy-bill|house=lords|access-date=30 July 2023}}</ref> and approved it with minor changes on 23 October.<ref>{{Hansard|url=1967/oct/23/medical-termination-of-pregnancy-bill|access-date=31 July 2023}}</ref> On 25 October, the Commons voted 188–94 to agree with the amendments made by the Lords.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/1967-10-25/debates/00ad4c8d-7c31-476b-b828-7cf6412f0dd0/Clause1%E2%80%94(MedicalTerminationOfPregnancy)|title=Clause 1—(Medical Termination Of Pregnancy)|date=25 October 1967|access-date=31 July 2023}}</ref> The bill was enacted two days later, and came into force on 27 April 1968.
== Later laws ==
Since 1967, members of Parliament have introduced a number of private member's bills to change the abortion law. Five resulted in substantive debate (1975,<ref>{{cite hansard|jurisdiction=United Kingdom|house=House of Commons|title=Abortion (Amendment) Bill (Select Committee)|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1975/feb/26/abortion-amendment-bill-select-committee-1#S5CV0887P0_19750226_HOC_257|date=26 February 1975|column_start=503|column_end=542}}</ref> 1976,<ref>{{cite hansard|jurisdiction=United Kingdom|house=House of Commons|title=Abortion (Amendment) Bill (Select Committee)|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1976/feb/09/abortion-amendment-bill-select-committee#S5CV0905P0_19760209_HOC_358|date=9 February 1976|column_start=100|column_end=170}}</ref> 1979,<ref>{{cite hansard|jurisdiction=United Kingdom|house=House of Commons|title=Abortion (Amendment) Bill|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1979/jul/13/abortion-amendment-bill|date=13 July 1979|column_start=891|column_end=983}}</ref> 1988,<ref>{{cite hansard|jurisdiction=United Kingdom|house=House of Commons|title=Abortion (Amendment) Bill|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1988/jan/22/abortion-amendment-bill-1#S6CV0125P0_19880122_HOC_66|date=22 January 1988|column_start=1228|column_end=1296}}</ref> and 1990<ref>{{cite hansard|jurisdiction=United Kingdom|house=House of Commons|title=Clause 34: Amendment of law relating to termination of pregnancy|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm198990/cmhansrd/1990-06-21/Debate-16.html|date=21 June 1990|column_start=1178|column_end=1209}}</ref>), but all failed. The Lane Committee investigated the workings of the Act in 1974 and declared its support.
=== Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 ===
Changes to the Abortion Act 1967 were introduced in Parliament through the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. The time limits were lowered from 28 to 24 weeks for most cases on the grounds that medical technology had advanced sufficiently to justify the change. Restrictions were removed for late abortions in cases of risk to life, fetal abnormality, or grave physical and mental injury to the woman. Some Members of Parliament claimed not to have been aware of the vast change the decoupling of the Infant Life Preservation Act 1929 would have on the Abortion Act 1967, particularly in relation to the unborn disabled child.<ref>{{Cite Hansard|title=Amendment of Law Relating to Termination of Pregnancy|house=House of Commons|date=21 June 1990|url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/1990-06-21/debates/13c329d8-0276-4bd4-a127-b0994d9a244b/AmendmentOfLawRelatingToTerminationOfPregnancy|column=1162|speaker=Michael Alison}}</ref>
Politicians from the unionist and nationalist parties in Northern Ireland joined forces on 20 June 2000 to block any extension of the Abortion Act 1967 to Northern Ireland where terminations were only allowed on a restricted basis.<ref name="Birchard, Karen 2000">{{cite journal|last1=Birchard|first1=Karen|year=2000|title=Northern Ireland resists extending abortion Act|journal=The Lancet|volume=356|issue=9223|pages=52|doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(05)73390-0|s2cid=54407089}}</ref>
=== Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 ===
There was widespread action across the country to oppose any attempts to restrict abortion access<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thefword.org.uk/2008/10/last_chance_-_a/|title=Last chance – Abortion Rights protest tonight - The F-Word|website=www.thefword.org.uk|date=21 October 2008|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.abortionrights.org.uk/|title=Abortion Rights|website=Abortion Rights|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pennyred.blogspot.co.uk/2008/01/stand-up-for-pro-choice-majority.html|title=Stand up for the Pro-Choice Majority!|website=pennyred.blogspot.co.uk|date=15 January 2008|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-03-16}}</ref> via the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill (now Act) in Parliament (Report Stage and Third Reading 22 October 2008<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm081022/debtext/81022-0006.htm#08102242000005|title=House of Commons Hansard Debates for 22 Oct 2008 (pt 0006)|last=Westminster|first=Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons|website=publications.parliament.uk|access-date=2018-03-16}}</ref>). MPs voted to retain the current legal limit of 24 weeks. Amendments proposing reductions to 22 weeks and 20 weeks were defeated by 304 to 233 votes and 332 to 190 votes respectively.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7412118.stm|title=MPs reject cut in abortion limit|date=21 May 2008|work=BBC News}}</ref>
A number of abortion rights amendments were proposed by Diane Abbott MP,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2008/jul/23/northernireland.law|title=Diane Abbott: A right to choose? Not in Northern Ireland|last=Abbott|first=Diane|date=2008-07-23|website=the Guardian|language=en|access-date=2018-03-16}}</ref> Katy Clark MP and John McDonnell MP<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7520856.stm|title=MPs pushing abortion rights in NI|date=2008-07-23|access-date=2018-03-16|language=en-GB}}</ref> - including NC30 Amendment of the Abortion Act 1967: Application to Northern Ireland.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmbills/120/amend/pbc1202210m.3272-3278.html|title=House of Commons Amendments|last=Commons|first=Table Office, House of|website=publications.parliament.uk|access-date=2018-03-16}}</ref> However, it was reported that the Labour Government at the time asked MPs not to table these amendments (and at least until Third Reading) and then allegedly used parliamentary mechanisms in order to prevent a vote.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://labourlist.org/2009/03/harriet-harman-shouldnt-be-blogging-on-international-womens-day-shes-suppressed-womens-rights-for-12-years/|title=Harriet Harman shouldn't be blogging on International Women's Day – she's suppressed women's rights for 12 years {{!}} LabourList|date=2009-03-09|work=LabourList {{!}} Labour's biggest independent grassroots e-network|access-date=2018-03-16|language=en-GB}}</ref> Harriet Harman, in particular, was reported to have blocked the series of votes to liberalise Britain's abortion laws.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2008/oct/21/health-health1|title=Harman to block Commons votes on liberalising abortion laws|last=Watt|first=Nicholas|date=2008-10-20|website=the Guardian|language=en|access-date=2018-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2008/oct/22/abortion-gender-northern-ireland-harman|title=Editorial: Abortion law have fallen victim to political expediency|date=2008-10-21|website=the Guardian|language=en|access-date=2018-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/labour/2403614/Gordon-Brown-and-Harriet-Harman-in-abortion-bust-up.html|title=Gordon Brown and Harriet Harman in abortion bust-up|last=Hennessy|first=Patrick|journal=Daily Telegraph|date=2008-07-12|access-date=2018-03-16|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2008/oct/17/women-abortion-reproductiverights|title=Cath Elliott: Gordon Brown seems determined to stifle even progressive amendments to the HFE bill|last=Elliott|first=Cath|date=2008-10-17|website=the Guardian|language=en|access-date=2018-03-16}}</ref>
==== 50th anniversary of the Abortion Act 1967 ====
In May 2017, the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership made a commitment to extend the Abortion Act 1967 to Northern Ireland.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://labour.org.uk/manifesto/|title=Manifesto - The Labour Party|work=The Labour Party|access-date=2018-03-16|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-manifesto-2017-election-northern-ireland-abortion-act-extension-a7730091.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170511145821/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-manifesto-2017-election-northern-ireland-abortion-act-extension-a7730091.html |archive-date=2017-05-11 |url-access=limited |url-status=live|title=Labour would change the law to stop women in Northern Ireland being sent to prison for abortions|date=2017-05-11|work=The Independent|access-date=2018-03-16|language=en-GB}}</ref> In June 2017, the UK Government revealed plans to provide some type of free abortion services in England for women from Northern Ireland in an attempt to head off a Conservative rebellion in a vote on the Queen's speech.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/23/northern-irish-women-offered-free-abortion-services-in-england|title=Northern Irish women offered free abortion services in England|last=Elgot|first=Jessica|date=2017-10-23|website=the Guardian|language=en|access-date=2018-03-16}}</ref>
=== Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019 === {{Further|Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019}}
The Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019, enacted on 24 July 2019, extended the deadline for the restoration of the Executive to 21 October 2019. Section 9 of the act provided that, if an Executive were not restored by that date:
*the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland would be required to implement recommendations regarding abortion made in the CEDAW report; and *sections 58 and 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 (under which abortion was illegal) would be repealed insofar as they applied to Northern Ireland.<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 February 2025 |title=Abortion in Northern Ireland: recent changes to the legal framework |url=https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8909/ |access-date=2026-03-20 |website=House of Commons Library |publisher=UK Parliament |language=en}}</ref>
On 21 October 2019, as a result of the Executive not being restored, sections 58 and 59 of the 1861 act were repealed, decriminalising abortion in Northern Ireland.<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 October 2019 |title=Northern Ireland abortion and same-sex marriage laws change |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-50128860 |access-date=2026-03-20 |work=BBC News |language=en}}</ref>
== See also == * Abortion in the United Kingdom
== Notes == {{Notelist}}
== References == {{Reflist}}
== Further reading == * {{Cite journal|last1=Sheldon|first1=Sally|last2=Davis|first2=Gayle|last3=O'Neill|first3=Jane|last4=Parker|first4=Clare|date=2019|title=The Abortion Act (1967): A Biography|journal=Legal Studies|publisher=Cambridge University Press|volume=39|issue=1|pages=18–35|doi=10.1017/lst.2018.28|issn=0261-3875|eissn=1748-121X|doi-access=free|hdl=20.500.11820/9360b0fe-f1c4-423d-9935-1748720424a4|hdl-access=free}} * Sheldon, Sally; Davis, Gayle; O'Neill, Jane; Parker, Clare (2022). ''The Abortion Act 1967: A Biography of a UK Law''. Cambridge University Press * {{Cite book|last1=Pomiès-Maréchal|first1=Sylvie|title=Preserving the Sixties|last2=Leggett|first2=Matthew|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|year=2014|isbn=978-1-137-37409-7|editor-last=Harris|editor-first=Trevor|pages=51–72|chapter=The Abortion Act 1967: A fundamental change?|doi=10.1057/9781137374103_4|editor-last2=O'Brien Castro|editor-first2=Monia}}
== External links == * {{wikisource-inline|single=true}} * {{UK-LEG}} * {{UK-LEG|asmade=yes}} * UK Parliament Inquiry: [https://web.archive.org/web/20071026034749/http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/science_and_technology_committee/scitech200607.cfm Scientific developments relating to the Abortion Act 1967], House of Commons Press Notice, 20 June 2007.
{{Abortion in the United Kingdom}} {{UK legislation}} {{Authority control}}
Category:United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1967 Category:Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom concerning England and Wales Category:Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom concerning Scotland Category:United Kingdom abortion law