ABSTRACT
Lord Silkin introduced his bill on 11 November 1965 and, he said, its prime goal was familiar enough, the reform of a century-old law: ‘Abortion is a criminal offence under Section 58 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. Any woman who with intent to procure a miscarriage administers to herself any poison or drug or who uses any instrument for the like purpose commits an offence. Abortion was a matter that touched it immediately, Lord Silkin’s bill looked for a while as if it might come to fruition, a number of medical practitioners had spoken at the debate in the House of Lords, and the profession was obliged to consider its position. Just as Lord Silkin had anticipated, there were parallel stirrings in the House of Commons as private member’s bills were drafted in the new Session of Parliament.
