The Ministry of Justice has announced that all British women convicted of abortion offences relating to their own pregnancies have been pardoned. The move automatically removes the details of women who were convicted, cautioned, arrested or investigated for acting beyond the legal 24-week limit from criminal records.
Change in the law
The pardons follow the Crime and Policing Act, which became law earlier this year and decriminalised women who end their own pregnancies – or try to do so – up until full-term. The 24-week limit still applies to medical professionals and anyone else other than the woman herself, and they can still be convicted of an abortion offence for breaching it.
The change in the law only applies to England and Wales, while decriminalisation happened in Northern Ireland earlier this decade. Last year’s vote in Westminster left Scotland as the only part of the UK where women can still be prosecuted for ending their own pregnancy, though a major review of Scottish abortion law last year called for that offence to be scrapped.
Reaction from BPAS
Leading abortion provider the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) welcomed today’s announcement. CEO Heidi Stewart said: “While no pardon can undo the distress and trauma these women have experienced, this historic change in the law recognises the profound harm caused by their criminalisation and represents a meaningful step towards justice.”
Stewart added: “BPAS has campaigned for abortion law reform for over a decade. Today marks an important milestone in ensuring that no woman faces criminal punishment or lifelong stigma because of the circumstances surrounding the end of her pregnancy.”
How the pardons will work
The pardons will apply automatically, with police forces and courts updating records accordingly. Alex Davies-Jones, the minister for victims and tackling violence against women and girls, said: “For those affected, I know that clear and accessible information about what happens next is vital. Women do not have to take any direct action themselves, but can find out more information online and contact our dedicated casework team.”
MPs voted in favour of decriminalising women who terminate their own pregnancies by 379 to 137, a majority of 242, in July 2025.
