Abortion Act 1967
E632387
The Abortion Act 1967 is a landmark UK law that first legalized and regulated access to abortion in Great Britain under specified medical and legal conditions.
Statements (49)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom
ⓘ
United Kingdom abortion law ⓘ |
| administeredBy |
UK Department of Health and Social Care (in England)
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
devolved health authorities in Scotland and Wales ⓘ |
| allowsAbortionIf |
continuation of the pregnancy involves risk to the life of the pregnant woman greater than if the pregnancy were terminated
ⓘ
pregnancy has not exceeded a specified gestational limit and continuing it would involve risk to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman or her existing children greater than if the pregnancy were terminated ⓘ termination is necessary to prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman ⓘ there is substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped ⓘ |
| amendedBy | Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| appliesToJurisdiction |
England
ⓘ
Great Britain NERFINISHED ⓘ Scotland ⓘ Wales ⓘ |
| citation | 1967 c. 87 ⓘ |
| commencement | 1968-04-27 ⓘ |
| containsProvision |
conscientious objection clause for participating in treatment
ⓘ
requirement that abortions be carried out in NHS hospitals or approved places ⓘ |
| country | United Kingdom ⓘ |
| doesNotApplyToJurisdiction | Northern Ireland (until 2019 reforms) NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| historicalSignificance |
first law to broadly legalise abortion in Great Britain
ⓘ
major milestone in UK reproductive health policy ⓘ |
| influencedBy | campaigns by abortion law reform groups in the 1960s ⓘ |
| inForceIn |
England and Wales
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Scotland NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| introducedBy | David Steel NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| languageOfText | English ⓘ |
| legalEffect |
created statutory grounds on which abortion is lawful
ⓘ
provided defences for doctors performing abortions within the Act’s conditions ⓘ |
| legalStatusBeforeAct | most abortions were criminal offences under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 ⓘ |
| legislativeBody | Parliament of the United Kingdom NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| longTitle | An Act to amend and clarify the law relating to termination of pregnancy by registered medical practitioners ⓘ |
| postAmendmentGestationalLimit | 24 weeks of pregnancy for most grounds ⓘ |
| primaryPurpose |
to legalise abortion under specified conditions
ⓘ
to regulate access to abortion services ⓘ |
| region | Great Britain NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| regulates | conditions under which abortions may be lawfully performed ⓘ |
| relatedTo |
Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Offences Against the Person Act 1861 NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| requires |
approval of two registered medical practitioners (in most cases)
ⓘ
notification of abortions to the Chief Medical Officer ⓘ termination to be carried out by a registered medical practitioner ⓘ |
| royalAssent | 1967-10-27 ⓘ |
| setsGestationalLimit | originally 28 weeks of pregnancy ⓘ |
| shortTitle | Abortion Act 1967 NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| status | amended ⓘ |
| subjectMatter |
abortion
ⓘ
reproductive rights ⓘ |
| typeOfBill | Private member's bill ⓘ |
| yearOfAct | 1967 ⓘ |
Referenced by (2)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.