The Abortion Act 1967

This book focusses on the evolution of the law and medical practice of abortion in England.

The book, originally published in 1988, suggests that the inter-war years saw a crucial mapping of boundaries in the debates over abortion.

Biography of the Abortion Act, exploring how it was shaped by and shaped a changing UK.

Available Open Access under CC-BY-NC licence. The public and parliamentary debate about UK abortion law reform is often diverted away from key moral and political questions by disputes regarding basic questions of fact. And all too often, claims of scientific ‘fact’ are ideologically driven. But what effect would decriminalisation be likely to have on women’s health? What would be the impact on the incidence of abortions? Would decriminalisation equate to deregulation, sweeping away necessary restrictions on dangerous or malicious conduct? With each chapter written by leading experts in the fields of medicine, law, reproductive health and social science, this book offers a concise and authoritative account of the evidence regarding the likely impact of decriminalisation of abortion in the UK.