Decriminalization Vote Heads to House of Lords

0:00On March 15th last year, members of Parliament in the House of Commons voted overwhelmingly to decriminalize abortion for women in England and Wales. The move, with 379 votes in favor and 137 against, removes prosecution for women who in pregnancies. Outside the current legal limits, those limits, like needing two doctors' approvals and tire restrictions, stay in place, but doctors who break the rules can still face charges. Now the bill has to the House of Lords, where peers will debate and vote on amendments this Wednesday evening. Amendments can be added up until Tuesday, and several key ones are already on the table, split between pro-choice and anti-abortion positions. Women are still getting arrested under the old laws, even as change looms. Police have some discretion, like opting for voluntary interviews instead of arrests, but investigations continue for cases already underway. Among the proposals, one seeks to scrap the decriminalization entirely, while others aim to end remote telemedicine abortions after nine weeks and six, days or pardon women with

1:03past convictions by clearing their records. Another would halt all current probes into women for pre-law offenses. The crime and policing bill should wrap up in Parliament soon, potentially becoming law right after royal assent, if decriminalization holds.