Abortion amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill dubbed “extreme” by pro-life groups have been withdrawn.
The amendments sought to remove offences that currently make it illegal to perform a self-induced abortion as much as birth.
They were tabled by Labour MPs Stella Creasy and Diana Johnson in what Right to Life UK called an “try and hijack” the Criminal Justice Bill.
The amendments were debated yesterday at Committee Stage of the Bill but weren’t taken to a vote and have now been withdrawn.
Right to Life UK’s Catherine Robinson said, “While this can be a positive development, it’s now likely that these, or similar amendments, will likely be re-tabled by Creasy and Johnson or other MPs at Report Stage of the Bill, so this battle is probably going removed from over sadly.”
Alithea Williams, public policy manager on the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, agreed that “the danger will not be over”.
“It is now very likely that one in every of these amendments, or a new edition of them, will likely be brought back at Report stage of the Bill in February,” she said.
She urged pro-life supporters to contact their MPs to boost concerns concerning the amendments ahead of any vote at Report stage.
