Scottish Catholic Observer

SNP ministers are believed to no longer be pushing for abortion law to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

The Smith Commission on further devolution for Scotland had said there should be ‘serious consideration’ of the subject, which reports say will now not happen.

This means that abortion law will remain reserved to Westminster for the foreseeable future.

“Our concern is with the process, as opposed to the parliament that legislates for it,” a spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland said. “We don’t have any sense that changing the legislature would alter the legal regime.”

Under current UK law, abortions can be carried out during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy. Abortions can only be carried out at hospitals or licensed clinics and two doctors must agree that an abortion would cause less damage to a woman’s physical or mental health than continuing with the pregnancy.

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