The former Mayor of Congleton is encouraged by the steps being made towards the decriminalisation of abortion.

Kay Wesley, Congleton councillor and leader of the Equality Party, has welcomed the support of the House of Lords for proposals to remove abortion from criminal law.

Currently, under sections 58 and 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, abortion remains a criminal offence in England and Wales.

The Abortion Act 1967 created limited exceptions, allowing abortion only where two registered medical practitioners agree that specific conditions are met.

This legal framework means that abortion is not treated as a standard medical procedure, but as a criminal act subject to exemption.

Councillor Wesley said: "We are dealing with a law written in 1861 — a time when women had no rights over their own bodies, their property, or even their children.

"It has no place in modern healthcare."

The proposed reform would not alter the existing legal time limits for abortion, including the general 24-week limit established under the Abortion Act 1967 as amended by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990.

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Instead, it would shift oversight from criminal law to medical regulation. Any abortion carried out outside legal parameters would remain subject to professional sanctions, including disciplinary action by the General Medical Council.

Councillor Wesley added: "This reform does not change abortion time limits. It does not allow 'abortion up to birth.' That claim is being made by far-right politicians who want to remove women's rights. It is simply false and misleading.

"What it does is ensure that women facing some of the most difficult moments of their lives are treated as patients in need of care — not as potential criminals.

"Doctors have been clear for years: pregnancy and abortion are medical matters. The law should reflect that.

"No one should want a situation where a woman going through a traumatic miscarriage fears investigation instead of receiving support. This change is about dignity, safety, and basic human rights."