Short answer: Abortion became legal in Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) with the Abortion Act 1967, which came into effect on 27 April 1968. Northern Ireland remained under tighter restrictions until recent reforms, with Northern Ireland-specific regulations evolving in 2020 and later updates.
Details
- The Abortion Act 1967 legalized abortion in Great Britain when two registered medical practitioners certified that certain conditions were met, notably that continuing the pregnancy would pose risks to the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant woman, or that there would be a substantial risk to existing children in the family, among other grounds. The Act also established NHS-provided services for abortion. The law took effect on 27 April 1968.
- Before this Act, and after, there were various legal regimes and cases governing abortion, including earlier common-law and statutory constraints, and later reforms that adjusted gestational limits and criteria. The 1967 Act set a framework but did not remove all historical restrictions; for example, it required two doctors to certify and did not apply in Northern Ireland at the time of its passage.
- In Northern Ireland, abortion law remained more restrictive until reforms implemented in 2020 and subsequent updates, effectively bringing many abortions under more permissive regulation in line with changes elsewhere in the UK. (This is reflected in later regulatory changes and summaries noting separate Northern Ireland provisions.)
- In 2025, UK Parliament discussions and media coverage highlighted moves toward decriminalising abortion and adjusting the interplay between criminal law and clinical regulation, indicating ongoing evolution of the legal landscape. The core historical milestone remains the 1967 Act and its 1968 effective date, with subsequent regional updates.
Key points (quick reference)
- 1967: Abortion Act passed to regulate and largely decriminalize abortion in Great Britain under specified grounds.
- 1968-04-27: Act came into force in Great Britain.
- Northern Ireland: Separate regulatory path, with reforms and changes occurring later (not part of the 1967 Act’s immediate applicability).
- Ongoing legal evolution: There have been contemporary discussions and reform efforts around decriminalisation and alignment of abortion law with clinical practice.
If you’d like, I can pull more precise dates for Northern Ireland changes or summarize the seven grounds commonly referenced in the 1967 Act for when an abortion is lawful.
