Abortion

Philip Larkin put his poet's finger on it: ‘Sexual intercourse began In 1963 (Which was rather late for me) — Between the end of the Chatterley ban And the Beatles' first LP.' High Windows (1974)

Except for the Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929: see post, col 2, p.3

In 1803 a statute, long ago repealed, provided the death penalty for attempting to procure a miscarriage by administering poison, where it was proved that the baby had quickened — if not so proved, the penalty was transportation for 14 years

Attorney-General's Reference (No. 3 of 1994) 24 November 1995

R. v. Bourne [1938] 3 All ER 615: a 14-year-old girl became pregnant following a violent rape involving several men. The gynaecologist aborted her openly, in a famous hospital, with full awareness of the risk he ran, intending to test the legal position, and to save her from serious mental injury. In this he was supported by a number of distinguished medical men, including Lord Horder, at the time the doyen of the medical profession

These opinions must be given in writing in the form specified by regulations made under s.2 of the Act by the Minister of Health

See particularly the British Medical Journal, 17 Feb. 96 letter ‘Patient's consent to abortion’, p 446, 447

Royal College of Nursing v. DHSS [1981] 1 All ER 545

This Act is now irrelevant provided the formalities in s. 1 (1) of the Abortion Act 1967 (as amended) are complied with

But see the effect of death of a child born alive, p2