Include abortion rights in the Bill of Rights
The Parliament petitions site records 167,690 signatures for this petition, which closed on 19 January 2023. The Government responded on 20 September 2022. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 28 November 2022.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Include abortion rights in the Bill of Rights
As Parliament considers the Bill of Rights, the Government must reconsider including abortion rights in this Bill. Rights to abortion must be specifically protected in this legislation, especially as the Government has refused to rule out leaving the European Convention on Human Rights.
In the wake of the United States Supreme Court over-turning 'Roe vs. Wade' in a landmark decision; the United Kingdom must enshrine abortion rights in the new UK Bill of Rights.
Abortion rights are healthcare rights; not just for individuals who do not wish to be pregnant, but also for those who do. For ectopic pregnancies, to finish a natural miscarriage, or if mother or foetus' life is at high risk. There are a multitude of other reasons to seek an abortion and this should be protected as a right to choose.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 20 September 2022; the petitions site lists the Ministry of Justice as responsible. Its summary:
The Government is now looking again at the Bill of Rights to ensure it will deliver the Government’s objectives as effectively as possible.
The response in full:
The Government has decided to look again at the Bill of Rights, to ensure that it delivers the Government’s objectives as effectively as possible.
This will inform future steps in this area, including any legislation Parliament may be invited to consider in future.
Ministry of Justice
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies on the boundaries used until the 2024 general election. The largest number, 942, came from Brighton, Pavilion.
167,168 of the signatures were from the UK and 522 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures |
|---|---|
| Brighton, Pavilion | 942 |
| Bristol West | 795 |
| Manchester Central | 690 |
| Salford and Eccles | 588 |
| Liverpool, Riverside | 544 |
| Isle of Wight | 536 |
| Hove | 535 |
| Hackney South and Shoreditch | 519 |
| Hornsey and Wood Green | 508 |
| Norwich South | 508 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| South East | 27,958 |
| London | 23,280 |
| North West | 17,880 |
| East of England | 16,878 |
| South West | 15,914 |
| Scotland | 13,500 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 12,016 |
| West Midlands | 11,635 |
| East Midlands | 11,031 |
| Wales | 8,355 |
| North East | 5,493 |
| Northern Ireland | 1,684 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 28 November 2022. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/619334.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
644fe02ac550beb2… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.