Petition · Ministry of Justice
Decriminalise Abortion
Closed
103,653 signatures
What the petition asks
I am calling on the UK government to remove abortion from criminal law so that no pregnant person can be criminalised for procuring their own abortion.
The U.K is out of step with World Health Organization who in 2022 recommended that barriers to abortion such as criminalisation, or approval of others or institutions should be removed. Amnesty International state that abortion is a human rights issue.
Government response · 23 December 2024
All women have a right to access to safe, legal abortions on the NHS.
All women have access to safe, legal abortions on the NHS both in a medical setting and at home, where eligible. In England and Wales, the Abortion Act 1967 defines the criteria under which legal terminations can take place. The criminal law in relation to procuring an abortion is contained in the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, in particular sections 58 and 59. At this moment the Government has no plans to make changes to these Acts.
Ministry of Justice
Ministry of Justice
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated this petition on 2 June 2025.
Timeline
| 4 Nov 2024 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 30 Nov 2024 | Passed 10,000 signatures, requiring a government response |
| 24 Dec 2024 | Government responded |
| 5 Mar 2025 | Passed 100,000 signatures, qualifying for a parliamentary debate |
| 4 May 2025 | Closed to new signatures |
| 2 Jun 2025 | Debated in Parliament |
Key facts
Signatures
103,653
Status
Closed
Department
Ministry of Justice
Opened
4 Nov 2024
Closed
4 May 2025
Response
23 Dec 2024
Debated
2 Jun 2025
Follow this petition
Sign in to get an email when the government responds, a debate is scheduled or held, or the petition closes.
Source: the official petition page. Last checked 26 Jul 2026.