An Exploration of How Current Legislations Restrict Women’s Access to Abortion Services in England

Despite scholarly and public criticism, under the current legislative framework, abortion remains criminalised in England and offenders could be subject to life imprisonment. This article seeks to contribute to scholarly debate on the design and impacts of the Abortion Act 1967, by providing a comprehensive review on how the current legislative framework restricts access to abortion services. This article argues that the discretionary power granted to doctors by the Abortion Act, the criminalisation of abortion and the stigma stemming from it, and the lack of effective oversight of the conscientious objection mechanism have significantly restricted access to abortion services in England by imposing multiple barriers. The article concludes by considering how two proposed law reforms, namely decriminalisation of abortion and abortion-on-request, could potentially render abortion services more accessible in England.