October 17th- Letter to The Times: Time to Modernise Abortion Legislation

Time to modernise abortion legislation

Academic medical lawyers and ethicists petition for the modernisation of the Abortion Act 1967


Sir, Recent years have witnessed a welcome shift in medical practice. Paternalism, the “doctor knows best” attitude, has been largely superseded by respect for patient autonomy. This shift is mirrored in the ethical codes and legal principles governing medical practice, which generally endorse the idea that individuals are entitled to make their own healthcare decisions, even when such choices appear irrational or wrong to others. Furthermore, our courts have held that individual women’s rights to make their own decisions are not suspended during pregnancy.

Given this, subjecting pregnant women who wish to terminate a pregnancy to the current qualifying conditions of the Abortion Act 1967, whereby an abortion is only permissible if two doctors agree to it, is an anomaly. And while achieving fewer and earlier abortions is a goal shared by all, there is no evidence that this is best achieved by placing obstacles in the path of a woman wishing to end her pregnancy.

As academic medical lawyers and ethicists, we believe that the current restrictions on women’s reproductive autonomy during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy are not justified. Likewise, where other provisions of the Abortion Act (such as those limiting where, and by whom, abortions may be performed) are not dictated by the requirements of patient safety and good medical practice, they should be similarly reformed. We therefore ask Parliament to take the opportunity now before it to modernise the Abortion Act 1967.

Sally Sheldon
Professor Law, Kent University

Ruth Chadwick
Distinguished Research Professor, Cardiff University

M. D. A. Freeman
Professor of English Law, UCL

Jonathan Glover
Professor of Ethics, King’s College London

John Harris
Lord Alliance Professor of Bioethics University of Manchester

Sheila A. M. Mclean
Professor of Law and Ethics in Medicine, University of Glasgow

Celia Wells
Professor of Law, Durham University

Hazel Biggs
Professor of Law, Lancaster University

Marie Fox
Professor of Law, Keele University

Stephen Wilkinson
Professor of Bioethics, Keele University

David Archard,
Professor of Philosophy and Public Policy, Lancaster University

Richard Ashcroft
Professor of Bioethics, School of Law, Queen Mary, University of London

Dr Nafsika Athanassoulis,
Lecturer in Ethics, Centre for Professional Ethics, Keele University

Peter Bartlett
Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust Professor of Mental Health Law, School of Law, University of Nottingham

Simon Blackburn, FBA,
The Professor of Philosophy, University of Cambridge

Dr Iain Brassington
Lecturer in Bioethics, Centre for Social Ethics and Policy and Institute for Science, Ethics and Innovation, School of Law, School of Law, University of Manchester

Christine Bell
Professor of Law, Transitional Justice Institute, University of Ulster

Joanne Beswick
Lecturer in Law, Staffordshire University

Lois S Bibbings
Senior Lecturer in Law, School of Law and Honorary Research Fellow, Centre
for Ethics in Medicine, University of Bristol.

Jenny Billings
Senior Research Fellow in Health Care Research (Vulnerable Groups), Kent University

Dr Lisa Bortolotti
Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Birmingham

Dr Bob Brecher
Director, Centre for Applied Philosophy, Politics & Ethics, University of Brighton

Jo Bridgeman
Senior Lecturer in Law, Sussex Law School

Dr Jennifer Burr
Lecturer in Health Care Ethics, School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield

Dr Ruth Cain
Lecturer in Law, Keele University

Dr Gideon Calder
Reader in Ethics and Social Philosophy, University of Wales, Newport

Dr Sharon Cowan
Lecturer in Law, Edinburgh University

Dr Roger Crisp
Uehiro Fellow and Tutor in Philosophy, St Anne's College, Oxford

Katherine de Gama,
Lecturer in Law, Keele University

Dr Marinos Diamantidis
Reader in Law, Birkbeck College

Gillian Douglas
Professor of Law, Cardiff University

Dr Heather Draper
Reader in Biomedical Ethics, Department of General Practice and Primary Care, University of Birmingham

Eileen Fegan
Lecturer in Law, Queen's University, Belfast

Dr Rachel Fenton
Senior Lecturer in Law, Bristol Law School, University of the West of England

P R Ferguson
Professor of Scots Law, Department of Law, University of Dundee

Dr Ruth Fletcher,
Senior Lecturer in Law, Keele University

Dr Sara Fovargue,
Lecturer in Law, Lancaster University.

Lucy Frith
Lecturer in Health Care Ethics, Medical School, University of Liverpool

Dr Colin Gavaghan,
Lecturer in medical law and ethics, School of Law, University of Glasgow

Dr Simona Giordano
Senior Lecturer of Bioethics, Centre for Social Ethics and Policy (CSEP), University of Manchester

Patrick Hanafin
Professor of Law, School of Law, Birkbeck College.

Vivienne Harpwood
Professor of Law, Cardiff University

John Harrington
Professor of Law, Liverpool University

Dr Peter Herissone-Kelly
Lecturer in Philosophy, Centre for Professional Ethics, University of Central Lancashire

Tamara K Hervey
School of Law, University of Sheffield

Dr Kirsty Horsey
Lecturer in Law, Kent University

Dr Jonathan Ives,
Research Fellow, Centre for the Study of Global Ethics, Centre for Biomedical Ethics, University of Birmingham.

Dr Marie-Andree Jacob,
Lecturer in Law, Keele University

Dr David Lamb
Hon Reader in Bioethics, University of Birmingham.

Dr. Melanie Latham
Reader in Law, Manchester Metropolitan University.

J.V. McHale
Professor of Law, Faculty of Law, University of Leicester

Robin Mackenzie
Senior Lecturer in Law, Kent University

Sheelagh McGuiness
Lecturer in Ethics, Centre for Professional Ethics, Keele University

Hugh McLachlan
School of Law and Social Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University

Dr Alasdair MacLean
Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Dundee

Dr Neil C. Manson
Senior Lecturer, Department of Philosophy, Lancaster University

Robyn Martin
Professor of Public Health Law, Centre for Research in Primary and Community Care, University of Hertfordshire

Dr Sabine Michalowski
Reader in Law, University of Essex

Susan Millns
Professor of Law, Sussex University

Dr José Miola,
Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Leicester.

Derek Morgan
Professor of Medical Law and Jurisprudence, University of Sheffield,

Linda Mulcahy
Anniversary Professor of Law and Society, Birkbeck College

Vanessa Munro
Professor of Socio-Legal Studies, University of Nottingham

Therese Murphy,
Professor of Law & Critical Theory, University of Nottingham

Richard Norman
Emeritus Professor of Moral Philosophy, Kent University.

Aurora Plomer
Professor of Law and Bioethics, School of Law, University of Sheffield

Dr Nicolette Priaulx,
Senior Lecturer in Law, Cardiff University

David Price,
Professor of Medical Law, De Montfort University School of Law, Leicester.

Jan Quallington,
Principal Lecturer, Institute of Health, Social Care and Psychology, University of Worcester.

Genevra Richardson,
Professor of Law, School of Law, King's College London

Jo Samanta,
Senior Lecturer, De Montfort University School of Law, Leicester.

Associate Professor Ralph Sandland,
Associate Professor of Law, University of Nottingham.

Professor Julian Savulescu B.Med.Sci., M.B., B.S., M.A., Ph.D.
Uehiro Chair in Practical Ethics at the University of Oxford, Director of the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, Director of the Program on Ethics and the New Biosciences in the 21st Century School, University of Oxford, Director of the Oxford Centre for Neuroethics, University of Oxford.

Dr Leanne Smith
Lecturer in Law, Cardiff University

Dr John Stanton-Ife
Senior Lecturer in Law, King's College London

Dr. Dania Thomas
Lecturer in Law, Keele University

Dr Michael Thomson
Professor of Law, Culture & Society, Keele University

Dr Kenneth Veitch
Lecturer in Law, Sussex University

Dr Julie Wallbank,
Senior Lecturer in Law, Leeds University

Donna Whitehead,

Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Sunderland.

Noel Whitty
Professor of Human Rights Law, University of Nottingham

Dr E Wicks
Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Birmingham

Melanie L Williams
Professor of Law, University of Exeter School of Law

Dr James Wilson
Centre for Philosophy, Justice and Health, UCL.

Dr Anthony Wrigley
Lecturer in Ethics, Centre for Professional Ethics, Keele University