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Scotland's role in the legalisation of abortion
Access to safe, affordable and effective means of fertility control – abortion and contraception – surely constitutes one of the most significant social developments of the twentieth century. Its increasing availability has, arguably, fundamentally altered women’s rights as well as the structure, health and welfare of the family unit. Crucial to this history is the 1967 Abortion Act, which reaches its 50th anniversary this week on October 27 2017. It is an important milestone for the bill that succeeded where six previous abortion bills had failed, and that spearheaded a wave of liberalising legislation across the Western world. The anniversary provides an opportunity to reflect on Scotland’s position within this history.
