Write to your MP and let them know the time to decriminalise abortion is now.
No one should face imprisonment for ending their own pregnancy.
This month we have an opportunity to ensure no one can ever be criminalised for having an abortion again.
Today you can make change happen by writing to your MP to ask that they back Dame Diana Johnson MP’s amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill that will put a stop to the imprisonment of women for ending their own pregnancies once and for all.
How to take action:
- Find your MPs contact details >>
- Copy and paste the template below into your email. Feel free to edit the email if you have something you would like to add or share with your MP.
- Make sure to add your address so they know you’re a constituent.
- Hit send and make history!
Email template:
Dear [NAME],
Right now, in England and Wales abortion is still in criminal law, and anyone who seeks an abortion outside the legal limits is at risk of being imprisoned for up to life. This plays out with real and heartbreaking consequences—police investigations after miscarriages, abortions and stillbirths are increasing, and last year a woman in England was convicted and imprisoned.
You have an opportunity to change that.
As your constituent, I am writing to ask you to add your name to NC1 and 1 of the Criminal Justice Bill. These cross-party amendments led by Dame Diana Johnson MP would put an end to the criminalisation of women for ending their own pregnancies.
Decriminalising abortion does not mean deregulation. The amendments won’t change existing abortion laws - including time limits, the requirement for two doctors’ signatures, and the grounds for abortion provision. If this legislation is amended so that it is no longer a criminal offence in England and Wales to end your own pregnancy, strict legal, regulatory and professional controls would apply in the same way as for other medical procedures. These amendments would bring the law in line with Northern Ireland, as passed by Westminster in 2019, and they have the support of over 30 organisations including professional medical bodies and those working to end VAWG.
Your support for this amendment is vital to put an end to invasive criminal investigations, gruelling court proceedings and potential future imprisonments of women following abortions. There are cases progressing through the criminal justice system right now. With your support we could ensure there will be no more.
Abortion is healthcare and no one should risk being criminalised for seeking essential medical care.
For that reason, as your constituent, I am asking you to add your name to NC1 and 1 to the Criminal Justice Bill.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR ADDRESS]