The Christian Institute is asking on church members across the UK to contact members of the House of Lords ahead of a pivotal debate on proposed abortion law changes within the Crime and Policing Bill.
Christians are being asked to induce peers to support amendments tabled by Baronesses Monckton and Stroud.
The organisation argues that the laws, as currently drafted, would represent one of the vital significant shifts in abortion law for the reason that Abortion Act of 1967.
At the centre of the controversy is a clause that may eliminate criminal penalties for ladies who perform their very own abortions at any point during gestation.
The Christian Institute says the measure effectively permits abortion as much as birth without legal sanction and was included within the Bill within the Commons following limited debate.
Baroness Monckton has introduced an amendment looking for to remove the clause entirely. She has described the proposal as “an extreme social change” lacking sufficient parliamentary scrutiny and public demand.
A separate amendment from Baroness Stroud goals to reinstate the requirement for in-person medical consultations before abortion pills are prescribed for home use.
The face-to-face safeguard was suspended throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and later made everlasting.
Those backing the return of face-to-face consultations contend that they’re crucial for confirming gestational age, identifying medical risks and detecting potential coercion.
The debate comes against the backdrop of record abortion figures. Government data show that 278,740 abortions were carried out in England and Wales in 2023 – the best annual total on record.
When figures from Scotland and Northern Ireland are included, campaigners estimate the UK-wide number approached 300,000 procedures in 2023.
In its appeal to supporters, The Christian Institute wrote that every baby lost was a human being: “Abortion is a national scandal. It tramples on the reality that every one individuals are made in God’s image and invaluable from conception. And it’s already happening on an industrial scale.”
Pro-life groups have linked the rise in numbers to the expansion of “pills by post” services, warning that at-home abortions later in pregnancy increase the danger of complications and reduce opportunities for safeguarding against coercion.
Several high-profile cases involving the misuse of abortion pills have intensified concerns, including incidents through which pills were used unlawfully in late pregnancy or administered with no woman’s knowledge.
Supporters of reform argue that decriminalisation would prevent the prosecution of vulnerable women and modernise the law. However, critics maintain that such sweeping changes shouldn’t be enacted through a backbench amendment to a broader policing bill.
Opponents of the clause also warn that decriminalisation could remove deterrents against sex-selective abortion and further weaken protections for vulnerable women. Abortion provider BPAS has previously faced criticism over guidance regarding sex-selective abortion, though it denies promoting the practice.
Polling cited by campaigners suggests public support for retaining safeguards, with surveys have indicating that around two-thirds of ladies back a return to mandatory in-person consultations, while support for full decriminalisation stays comparatively low at 16%.
The Lords debate also comes amid growing discussion in regards to the long-term impact of abortion on women.
Recent peer-reviewed studies within the US have suggested that a big minority of ladies report enduring long-term psychological distress a few years after undergoing an abortion, particularly where the choice was described as forced or misaligned with personal beliefs.
Researchers have called for enhanced assessment procedures and more comprehensive counselling prior to the procedure.
Catherine Robinson of Right To Life UK has described the proposed legal changes as “essentially the most significant change to abortion laws for the reason that Abortion Act was introduced in 1967”, warning they might increase each late-term at-home abortions and risks to women’s health.
In its communication to supporters, The Christian Institute urged Christians to put in writing to peers ahead of the vote and to hope that lawmakers “do what is true and protect unborn children and their moms.”
The amendments will likely be considered throughout the Report Stage of the Crime and Policing Bill starting February 25.
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