France makes abortion a constitutional right in historic vote - is abortion decriminalised in the UK?

France has voted to approve a bill that will enshrine right to abortion in the country’s constitution. The historic vote is designed to prevent abortion rights from being rolled back like they have in the United States.

In a parliament session at the Palace of Versailles, the bill was approved in a 780-72 vote. This makes France the first country to have a constitutional right to abortion since the former Yugoslavia inscribed it in its 1974 constitution.

Abortion is widely supported in France across political parties and has been legal since 1975. There were celebratory scenes in the hall and a long standing ovation as the bill was passed. Abortion rights activists hailed President Emmanuel Macron, who had promised the enshrinement immediately after the Dobbs ruling by the US Supreme Court in 2022.

In the lead up to the historic vote, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal addressed the 925 politicians gathered for the joint session in Versailles, calling on them to make France a leader in women’s rights and set an example in defence of women’s rights for countries around the world. Mr Attal said: "We have a moral debt to women."

Paying tribute to Simone Veil, a former health minister and prominent legislator who championed the bill in 1975 that decriminalised abortion in France. Mr Attal said to a standing ovation: "We have a chance to change history." Adding: to "Make Simone Veil proud."

A recent poll of the French public showed support for the right to abortion at more than 80%, with scenes of celebration around France even before the parliamentary session had began. Sarah Durocher, a leader in the Family Planning movement, said the vote is "a victory for feminists and a defeat for the anti-choice activists".

The French government argued in its introduction to the bill that the right to abortion is threatened in the US following the overturn of Roe vs Wade by the Supreme Court in 2022. The introduction to the legislation said: "Unfortunately, this event is not isolated: In many countries, even in Europe, there are currents of opinion that seek to hinder at any cost the freedom of women to terminate their pregnancy if they wish."

Amending the French constitution is a long process and a rare occurrence. Since it has been enacted in 1958, it has only ever been amended 17 times, with the last time in 2008, when parliament was awarded more powers and French citizens were granted the right to bring their grievances to the Constitutional Court.

Is abortion decriminalised in the UK?

In the UK, abortion has still not been decriminalised (except in Northern Ireland when it was decriminalised in 2019). According to France 24, in the last 18 months alone, six women have been prosecuted over suspected abortion offences due to The Offences Against the Person Act which dates back to 1861.

Labour MP Diana Johnson is expected to introduce an amendment to the Criminal Justice Act in the coming month that would end the prosecution of women who terminate pregnancies after the 24-week limit. Johnson is "hopeful" it will be passed, she said: "In 2019-20 we did this for Northern Ireland and got it decriminalised", adding: "I would find it very odd if parliament decided not to do this for England and Wales, as we’ve already done it and the sky has not fallen in. Other countries have done it – Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the Republic of Ireland – so it’s not the terrible thing that some people seem to be making out it is."

Sarah McCann is a Trends Writer for NationalWorld who specialises in stories around TV, Film and Health. If you liked this article you can follow Sarah on X (Twitter) here. You can also share your thoughts in the comment section below.