The House of Lords will confront urgent calls to block what pro-life campaigners brand a reckless expansion of Britain’s abortion law. Peers will debate stripping out extreme measures critics warn endanger women and risk major increase in the loss of viable babies’ lives.
At the Lords Committee Stage of the Crime and Policing Bill tomorrow, the House of Lords will consider a major bid headed by two senior Peers to overturn the controversial abortion up to birth clause in the Bill and reinstate in-person consultations with a medical professional prior to an abortion taking place at home.
The clause, known as clause 191, in the Crime and Policing Bill, would effectively allow abortion right up to the point of birth by decriminalising the practise.
Baroness Monckton and Baroness Stroud are tabling amendments along with other Peers to remove clause 191 and to reinstate in-person consultations.
This follows the Second Reading of the Crime and Policing Bill, where a large number of Peers spoke in opposition to the extreme clause and the far-reaching affects the law could have on society if passed in its current form.
All UK laws must pass through the House of Lords before being allowed to become law. The Lords can debate, approve, amend and even reject Bills acting as a bulwark against controversial or problematic new law changes.
Widespread concern
Clause 191, sponsored in the Commons by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, was passed along with the rest of the Crime and Policing Bill after just 46 minutes of debate on June 20, 2025.
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The clause makes it totally legal for women to perform their own abortions for any reason, including sex-selective purposes, and at any point up to and during birth, likely leading to a significant increase in the number of women performing dangerous late-term abortions at home.
The bill was passed with 379 votes in favour and 137 against. Of the Muslim MPs who voted, seven voted in favour of decriminalisation, four voted against, but the majority abstained or were absent.
Those who voted for decriminalisation were Dr Zubir Ahmed (Labour), Sadik Al Hassan (Labour), Apsana Begum (Independent), Zarah Sultana (Independent) and Tulip Siddiq (Labour).
Those who voted against were Mohammad Yasin (Labour), Saqib Bhatti (Conservative), Adnan Hussain (Independent), Ayoub Khan (Independent) and Iqbal Mohamed (Independent).
According to deeply concerned pro-life activists, there were no public consultation, Committee Stage scrutiny or evidence sessions before it passed the Commons.
Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, explained how the controversial bill was pushed through parliament despite a lack of consultation.
“Pro-abortion MPs hijacked a government Bill to rush through this radical and seismic change to our abortion laws after just 46 minutes of backbench debate. This was the first time this extreme amendment had been debated in Parliament, and there has been no public consultation on this far-reaching change to our laws.
“The law change would likely lead to the lives of many more women being endangered because of the risks involved with self-administered late-term abortions and also tragically lead to an increased number of viable babies’ lives being ended well beyond the 24-week abortion time limit and beyond the point at which they would be able to survive outside the womb.
“The abortion lobby is pushing to decriminalise abortion to cover up the disastrous effects of its irresponsible pills by post scheme, which endangers women by removing the requirement for in-person consultations before abortion pills may be prescribed. The solution is clear. We should urgently reinstate in-person appointments. This simple safeguard would help prevent women’s lives from being put at risk from self-administered late-term abortions, a danger that would be exacerbated if abortion were ‘decriminalised’ right up to birth.”
Polling shows that 89% of the general population and 91% of women agree that gender-selective abortion should be explicitly banned by the law – and only 1% of women support introducing abortion up to birth.
The introduction of the clause to the Crime and Policing Bill caused a major backlash, which included 91% of 28,000 respondents to a poll run by The Telegraph saying they were opposed to the extreme law change.
Ahead of tabling her Committee Stage amendment, Baroness Monckton of Dallington Forest MBE said: “If passed in its current form, the Crime and Policing Bill would change the law so it would no longer be illegal for women to perform their own abortions for any reason and at any stage, right up to birth. This is an extreme social change for which there is no public pressure or demand, and could have tragic consequences for women, as well as leading to increased numbers of abortions of viable babies.
“This radical clause was added to the Bill after less than an hour of debate by MPs, and without the necessary scrutiny required for an issue of such seriousness. Whatever one’s views on abortion, this is not how responsible laws are made.”
Importance of in-person consultations
Baroness Stroud has also tabled an amendment (amendment 460), along with other Peers, to reinstate in-person consultations with a medical professional prior to an abortion taking place at home. Baroness Stroud’s amendment would ensure women have an in-person appointment before being able to take abortion pills at home.
Polling shows widespread public support for the law change that is proposed by Baroness Stroud’s amendment, with two-thirds of women supporting the reinstatement of in-person appointments and only 4% in favour of the status quo.
Baroness Stroud previously warned of the dangers of allowing at-home abortions before the policy was made permanent in March 2022 – many of those dangers have, sadly, since occurred.
Ahead of tabling her Committee Stage amendment, Baroness Stroud warned: “Supporters of decriminalising abortion up to birth cite a small number of prosecutions of women for illegal late-term abortions in recent years. The increase in such cases is a direct result of the ‘pills by post’ scheme, whereby women can receive abortion pills without an in-person consultation to verify their gestational age is within the legal limit.
“The solution to such cases is not to make matters worse by removing the legal deterrent against women performing their own at-home abortions up to birth, which would likely endanger women further, but to reinstate in-person consultations. I, and many others, warned of the dangers of the ‘pills by post’ scheme when it was introduced. Sadly, those warnings have come true. My amendment would ensure medical professionals can accurately assess a woman’s gestational age, any health risks and the risk of coercion before abortion pills are prescribed.”
Islamic position
There is a general consensus among Muslim scholars that abortion is prohibited due to the sanctity of life, except in certain specific circumstances and within specific time limits.
There is a spectrum of opinions among the four Sunni schools of thought regarding abortion in the first 40 days for a legitimate reason. Some scholars permit it, while others do not.
The medical and mental well-being of the mother is considered in such decisions, not financial or convenience factors.
But there is near-unanimous consensus among Muslim scholars that abortion is prohibited after the soul is believed to be blown into the fetus (around 120 days), except in cases where the mother’s life is in clear danger.
In some exceptional circumstances, such as rape, incest, or severe health risks to the mother, some scholars allow abortion before 120 days.
Other religious groups, including religious Christian groups, have raised opposition to the law change.
