Editorial: The Guardian

• Police investigations into women suspected of unlawfully ending their own pregnancy have increased substantially in the UK.
• Despite the number of women prosecuted for this offence being small, these investigations can be traumatic and the risk of prosecution can hang over them for months.
• MPs have an important opportunity to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales this week when they vote on a number of amendments to the criminal justice bill.
• Abortion is a vital form of healthcare for women and should be regulated as such.
• Suspicion has raised since there are women who have miscarriages or stillbirths and could mislead the medical practitioner conducting the remote consultation.
• The amendments to the criminal justice bill could decriminalise abortion up to 24 weeks, ensuring that no woman or doctor could be prosecuted in relation to abortions carried out before this time limit.

Conclusion: Reform is long overdue and MPs must act this week to end these traumatic legal proceedings.

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