The Christian Institute is calling on church members across the UK to contact members of the House of Lords ahead of a pivotal debate on proposed abortion law changes in the Crime and Policing Bill.
Christians are being asked to urge peers to support amendments tabled by Baronesses Monckton and Stroud.
The organisation argues that the legislation, as currently drafted, would represent one of the most significant shifts in abortion law since the Abortion Act of 1967.
At the centre of the controversy is a clause that would get rid of criminal penalties for women who perform their own abortions at any point during gestation.
The Christian Institute says the measure effectively permits abortion up to birth without legal sanction and was included in the Bill in the Commons following limited debate.
Baroness Monckton has introduced an amendment seeking to remove the clause entirely. She has described the proposal as “an extreme social change” lacking sufficient parliamentary scrutiny and public demand.
A separate amendment from Baroness Stroud aims to reinstate the requirement for in-person medical consultations before abortion pills are prescribed for home use.
The face-to-face safeguard was suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic and later made permanent.
Those backing the return of face-to-face consultations contend that they are crucial for confirming gestational age, identifying medical risks and detecting potential coercion.
The debate comes against the backdrop of record abortion figures. Government data show that 278,740 abortions were carried out in England and Wales in 2023 - the highest annual total on record.
When figures from Scotland and Northern Ireland are included, campaigners estimate the UK-wide number approached 300,000 procedures in 2023.
In its appeal to supporters, The Christian Institute wrote that each baby lost was a human being: “Abortion is a national scandal. It tramples on the truth that all people are made in God’s image and valuable from conception. And it is already happening on an industrial scale.”
Pro-life groups have linked the rise in numbers to the expansion of “pills by post” services, warning that at-home abortions later in pregnancy increase the risk of complications and reduce opportunities for safeguarding against coercion.
Several high-profile cases involving the misuse of abortion pills have intensified concerns, including incidents in which pills were used unlawfully in late pregnancy or administered without a woman’s knowledge.
Supporters of reform argue that decriminalisation would prevent the prosecution of vulnerable women and modernise the law. However, critics maintain that such sweeping changes should not be enacted through a backbench amendment to a broader policing bill.
Opponents of the clause also warn that decriminalisation could remove deterrents against sex-selective abortion and further weaken protections for vulnerable women. Abortion provider BPAS has previously faced criticism over guidance relating to sex-selective abortion, though it denies promoting the practice.
Polling cited by campaigners suggests public support for retaining safeguards, with surveys have indicating that around two-thirds of women back a return to mandatory in-person consultations, while support for full decriminalisation remains comparatively low at 16%.
The Lords debate also comes amid growing discussion about the long-term impact of abortion on women.
Recent peer-reviewed studies in the US have suggested that a significant minority of women report enduring long-term psychological distress many years after undergoing an abortion, particularly where the decision was described as forced or misaligned with personal beliefs.
Researchers have called for enhanced assessment procedures and more comprehensive counselling prior to the procedure.
Catherine Robinson of Right To Life UK has described the proposed legal changes as “the most significant change to abortion legislation since the Abortion Act was introduced in 1967”, warning they could increase both late-term at-home abortions and risks to women’s health.
In its communication to supporters, The Christian Institute urged Christians to write to peers ahead of the vote and to pray that lawmakers “do what is right and protect unborn children and their mothers.”
The amendments will be considered during the Report Stage of the Crime and Policing Bill beginning February 25.
