Today (October 16th, 2025) the second reading of the Crime and Policing Bill took place in the House of Lords.
The Crime and Policing Bill includes an amendment, Amendment NC1, which will reform our Victorian abortion laws and put an end to the prosecution of people who end their own pregnancies. In a historic move, the amendment, tabled by Tonia Antoniazzi MP, was voted into the bill by MPs on June 17th, 2025.
We have proudly campaigned for this reform alongside 40+ other pro-choice organisations, including doctors, nurses, royal colleges, abortion providers, and gender-based violence charities.
Find out more about the second reading and the next steps for the bill here.
Commenting on the second reading taking place in the Lords, MSI UK’s Head of External Affairs, Louise McCudden, said:
“We were delighted to hear Baronesses Glenys Thornton and Liz Sugg speak up for reproductive rights in Parliament today. By expressing their support for abortion law reform, they sent a powerful message to women everywhere that they will stand up for equality – which could not be more important in the current global climate.
“Once signed into law, this reform will end the prosecution of people ending their own pregnancies, without changing details like regulations or time limits. The women who have been investigated under our Victorian laws in recent years include domestic abuse survivors, possible trafficking survivors, and women who have experienced miscarriages and stillbirths. Women experiencing unexplained pregnancy loss deserve compassion, not criminal investigation and judgment.
“This reform to the law is an important milestone in the fight for reproductive justice. At a time when US-based anti-abortion groups are spending millions of pounds campaigning in the UK, despite most people in this country being pro-choice, we are proud to see leadership on this from Parliament.”
Notes to Editors
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Visit this page to understand more about our campaign for abortion law reform.
About MSI Reproductive Choices
MSI Reproductive Choices is one of the UK’s leading providers of safe abortion and vasectomy. We believe that everyone should have the right to make choices about their own body and future. Team members throughout our network of more than 60 clinics and confidential helpline, provide high quality, compassionate care to women and men, when and where they need them.
