In the UK,
it is against the law for women to terminate their foetus after 24 weeks unless
there is a medical reason to do so.
The Royal
College of Medicine is backing the British Pregnancy Advisory Service's (BPAS)
call to remove abortion from criminal law.
RCM Chief
Executive Professor Cathy Warwick is also the Chair of the Board of Trustees
for BPAS
BPAS is
calling for scrapping the legal limits on abortion, which would allow
authorities further regulation of abortion activities in the United Kingdom.
However,
about 200 midwives, according to Christian Concern, said they disown the RCM's
decision to support the abolition of the abortion law.
The letter
says that decriminalisation “would mean the introduction of abortion up to birth
for any reason” and says the signatories object to the “extreme position”.
“It is out
of keeping with what we take to be the ethic of our profession, as well as the
consistently expressed wishes of British women with regards to the legality and
regulation of abortion, and it has been taken with no consultation whatsoever
of RCM membership,” it says.
A spokesman
for the RCM confirmed it “did not consult on this issue”.
“The RCM’s
constitution allows for our members to elect the RCM Board and for this body to
set our strategic objectives. The positions we take are based on these agreed
objectives,” he said.
