Why abortion rights mattered - Time’s Up for Outdated Abortion Laws

Why abortion rights mattered - Time’s Up for Outdated Abortion Laws

By Jen Ang, Director of Lawmanity 

This week marks the launch of Let’s Change the Act, a campaign calling for the modernisation of Scotland’s outdated abortion laws that are failing to put women’s needs, health and right first.

Under the current law in Scotland, women have no legal right to end a pregnancy, and criminalisation of abortion is rooted in centuries-old laws, as well as the Abortion Act 1967 – reflecting sexism and clinical practices that are no longer fit for modern societies. For example, in Scotland abortion can only be accessed legally if authorised by two doctors - and these unnecessary barriers create delay, stigma and harm for women - for no good reason.

As a result, Scotland is not meeting international health and human rights standards. Access to safe, legal and timely abortion healthcare is a fundamental human right and should not be regulated with criminal penalties. With a few notable exceptions, countries around the world are modernising and liberalising their laws on abortion care - and we, in Scotland, run the risk of falling behind. 

Why abortion rights mattered – and still matter – to me

I grew up in the United States, and as a teenager in the late 1980s, the right to access abortion healthcare was still very much under fire, with laws varying from state to state, and changing all the time. As a young girl, I was just starting to think about my own future, and the woman I could become. Ensuring that I could have safe, confidential access to birth control and abortion healthcare if I needed it seemed like the most important thing I could do with my time. 

I used to read a Ms Magazine, which had articles explaining how young women could get organised to defend abortion rights. So, when I was 13, I organised students from my high school to attend a local rally at the home of then-President George Bush Sr at his home in Kennebunkport, Maine. We rented a bus and raised money by selling tickets for $5 to other students.

That was the first protest I had ever attended, and because we only had film cameras in those days, this is one of exactly two photos I have from that day: 

Why abortion rights still matter, to all of us 

We are living through an era of global regression in rights, and that means that rights that people thought were settled, and secure – like the right to abortion healthcare in Scotland – are now under threat.

Most people I speak to are shocked to discover that abortion is still criminalised in Scotland, dismayed when they hear that women have been charged and prosecuted for crimes related to abortion in Scotland in the 21st century, and surprised when they learn about the outdated practices that still apply – for example, the requirement for two doctors to approve treatment, which is out of step with our approach to all other forms of women’s healthcare. 

Furthermore, criminalisation of abortion harms individuals and communities. Using the enforcement powers of the state - the police, prosecutors and the prison services - to police what is a private healthcare matter creates fear and stigma about a woman’s choice to access the care. The impact is also not felt equally – unaddressed, these harmful practices increase the risk of poverty, homelessness and physical and emotional harm for everyone – but more so for those who face other inequalities, for example, younger women and girls (particularly those not supported in their choices by their families), disabled women, racialised women, women living in poverty, and those living in rural areas. 

Join Us 

If you, like me, believe that it’s still worth fighting for a more equal world for women and girls in Scotland – please consider joining Let’s change the Act to defend and secure the right to safe, confidential and legal abortion healthcare for future generations. 

You can join here and we also have subgroups for lawyers, health staff, students and artists. 

Are you a lawyer, law student or legal professional?

We are looking for volunteers to organise in the legal sector and to help make the case for the legal changes that are necessary to secure rights – if you are curious about working with us, please fill in this form to volunteer or sign up to attend a free lawyers info session in early November 2025. 

Got more questions? Email us at [email protected]