Petition · past parliament
Repeal sections 58 and 59 from the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.
Rejected
11 signatures
What the petition asks
Women and transgender men have a right to bodily autonomy, and this includes abortion. Sections 58 and 59 have been removed from statute in Northern Ireland. Recent events have proved this is now required in England, Scotland and Wales.
Our abortion laws are outdated, unfair and need clarification. I am asking our Government to repeal sections 58 and 59 from the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.
Section 58 reads as: "A woman is guilty of an offence if she unlawfully procures her own miscarriage".
Section 59 reads as: "Anyone who supplies drugs or instruments to be unlawfully used to procure abortion is guilty of an offence".
I am also asking for the repeal of the above sections to include transgender men.
Section 58 reads as: "A woman is guilty of an offence if she unlawfully procures her own miscarriage".
Section 59 reads as: "Anyone who supplies drugs or instruments to be unlawfully used to procure abortion is guilty of an offence".
I am also asking for the repeal of the above sections to include transgender men.
Why it was rejected
There was already a petition about this issue. Duplicates are rejected so signatures collect in one place.
You may wish to sign this petition which calls for the same action: Decriminalise abortion to protect the rights of women seeking abortion
Timeline
| 13 Jun 2023 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 20 Jun 2023 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
11
Status
Rejected
Rejected
20 Jun 2023
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.