The leader of the UK Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has criticised a recent parliamentary vote supporting the decriminalisation of abortion in England and Wales, saying the process was rushed.
In a statement released Wednesday, Mrs Badenoch said she gave Conservative members of parliament a free vote as abortion has traditionally been treated as a matter of personal conscience.
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However, she confirmed that the party opposed the amendment by issuing a two-line whip.
“People need to know where I stand,” she said. “I am pro-choice, but I do not support abortion up to full term. This amendment goes too far.”
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Mrs Badenoch, a mother of three, said the proposal received only two hours of debate and failed to address key concerns.
Her statement comes in response to a vote by the UK Parliament on Tuesday to end criminal penalties for abortion in England and Wales.
Lawmakers backed an amendment to the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act by 379 votes to 137, Reuters reports. The law currently treats abortion after 24 weeks as a criminal offence punishable by life imprisonment.
The amendment seeks to remove this provision and protect women from prosecution.
Arguments
According to Mrs Badenoch, the debate overlooked key concerns, including the risk to vulnerable women and the rights of unborn children.
She said the current law, which allows abortion up to 24 weeks with the approval of two doctors, already “struck the right balance between the rights of women over their bodies and the rights of unborn children.”
“It was rushed, with just two hours of debate that ignored many fundamental issues. It will lead to dire outcomes for many women and babies, especially vulnerable women who are at risk of coercion, ” she said.
“It is yet another abuse of the legislative process to have passed such far-reaching legislation via a smuggled amendment at the last minute.”
Mrs Badenoch also criticised the Labour Party for backing the amendment, accusing it of advancing personal agendas not discussed during the last election.
“As ever, the most vulnerable people will pay the price,” she added.
Background
The vote that prompted Mrs Badenoch’s response is part of efforts to reform outdated aspects of the UK’s criminal law.
Although abortion has been legal in England and Wales since 1967 under specific conditions, it remained a criminal offence under the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act, particularly for pregnancies that extend beyond 24 weeks.
While prosecutions have been rare, they have increased in recent years, especially after abortion pills were approved for home use during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Medical professionals who assist women in obtaining an abortion outside the 24-week limit could still face prosecution.
The Labour Member of Parliament Tonia Antoniazzi, who sponsored the amendment, told parliament that over 100 women had been investigated in the last five years, including some who had suffered premature births or were coerced into ending pregnancies by abusive partners.
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“Each one of these cases is a travesty enabled by our outdated abortion law,” Ms Antoniazzi was quoted as saying. “This is not justice, it is cruelty, and it has got to end.”
It is believed that if this passes into law, it would bring abortion legislation in England and Wales closer to that of countries like France, Canada, and Australia.
Conservative member of parliament, Rebecca Paul, opposed it, warning that, “If this becomes law, fully developed babies up to term could be aborted by a woman with no consequences.”
Nigeria context
Nigeria’s abortion law is rooted in the same 1861 Offences Against the Person Act that the UK Parliament is now amending. It permits abortion only when the life of the mother is at risk. All other cases, including rape, incest, or health complications, remain criminalised.
The legal framework is enforced through the Criminal Code in the South and the Penal Code in the North. Under the law, those who perform an abortion can face up to 14 years in prison, while women who seek one risk up to seven years.
Despite these restrictions, around two million abortions occur in Nigeria each year, according to research. An estimated 63 per cent are considered unsafe, often carried out in poor sanitary conditions by untrained individuals.
These unsafe practices are a major contributor to maternal mortality in Nigeria, accounting for a substantial percentage of pregnancy-related deaths.
Efforts to expand legal access have faced repeated setbacks. In 2022, Lagos State issued clinical guidelines that would have allowed abortion in cases such as rape and serious health risks, but the policy was withdrawn following backlash.
Sexual and reproductive health advocates continue to push for reforms, arguing that the current law fails to reflect medical realities and contributes to avoidable deaths and health complications.
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