Dear
SPUC supporter,
On Tuesday 28 November 2023, Labour MPs Dame Diana Johnson and Stella Creasy tabled amendments New Clause 1 and New Clause 2 respectively to the Government’s Criminal Justice Bill. Both amendments would decriminalise abortion – that is, remove it from the criminal law.
These amendments will shortly be debated in a Public Bill Committee. This Committee has put out a call for evidence asking for views on the Criminal Justice Bill.
This is an important opportunity to oppose these dangerous decriminalisation amendments.
|
|
Make a submission
Can you submit a short submission to this committee?
The key point to make is:Â Reject New Clauses 1 and 2.
Here are some suggestions for other points you can make about the two clauses.
NC1:
- Removing the proposed offences for women would remove any legal restrictions on women regarding abortion. A woman could abort for any reason, including the sex of the baby.
- Dame Diana says the clause will not change the time limit “in a healthcare setting”. However, more than half of abortions are now carried out by a woman at home, under the pills by post policy. A woman who induced her abortion at home using pills (or any other method) at any stage of pregnancy, including just before natural birth, would commit no offence
- While the amendment applies only to a woman in relation to her own pregnancy, if self-induced abortions were never investigated, it is difficult to see how a third party could be charged in cases of coercion.
NC2:
- The vast majority of convictions under sections 58 and 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act are against men who cause the death of an unborn child by attacking a pregnant woman or giving her abortifacients against her will. Repealing them will stop such men being brought to justice.
- Section 60 of the Offences Against the Person Act deals with the crime of concealing the body of a baby who dies before, during or after birth, and is currently used when infanticide is suspected but cannot be charged due to lack of evidence. Repealing it, as this clause proposes, means that a woman would commit no offense if she self-induced abortion at full term or killed her baby during birth
- Similarly to NC1, the repeal of sections 58 and 59 would make abortion legal at any time, for any reason.
You can also use points from SPUC’s full submission, which can be found here.
Please include any other points you would like to make in your submission to the Committee, including any personal experience you have. Please put things into your own words as much as possible.
Your submission should be set out in a Word or similar document and must include:
- Heading:Â Evidence re:Â Criminal Justice Bill 2023
- Your name and address.
- The points you want to make to the Committee. (See bullet points above.)
Please email your submission to:Â [email protected].Â
When is the deadline?
The Committee’s website says:
The first sitting of the Public Bill Committee is expected to be on Tuesday 12 December and the Committee is scheduled to report by Tuesday 30 January. However, please note that when the Committee concludes its consideration of the Bill it is no longer able to receive written evidence and it can conclude earlier than the expected deadline of 5.00pm on Tuesday 30 January. You are strongly advised to submit your written evidence as soon as possible.
Â
These amendments are very dangerous, and could completely overhaul abortion law in this country. Please take this step to help us defeat them.
Â
With best wishes,
|
|
Alithea Williams
Public Policy Manager
|
|
|
|
