The Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929 ( 19 & 20 Geo. 5. c. 34) is an act of the

Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace ...

that created the offence of

child destruction Child destruction is the name of a statutory offence in England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Hong Kong and in some parts of Australia. Child destruction is the crime of killing an unborn but viable foetus; that is, a child "capable of being bor ...

. The act retains three sections, the most substantive legal changes of which are in the first section. The bill preceding it was introduced as the Child Destruction Bill. It was reintroduced in the next session as the Preservation of Infant Life Bill. Section 1(1)'s caveat of the act amended section 58 of the

Offences against the Person Act 1861 The Offences against the Person Act 1861 ( 24 & 25 Vict. c. 100) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that consolidated provisions related to offences against the person (an expression which, in particular, includes offences of ...

so that abortions and child destruction carried out in good faith for the sole purpose of preserving the life of the mother were no longer an offence.

Relationship with the Abortion Act 1967

The

Abortion Act 1967 The Abortion Act 1967 (c. 87) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that legalised abortion in Great Britain on certain grounds by registered practitioners, and regulated the tax-paid provision of such medical practices through the N ...

makes foetal abortion legal in specific circumstances when conducted in accordance with the regulations of the act.Smith and Hogan, 12th edition, p.568 The 1967 act—as for added clarity amended by s37 of the

Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (c. 37) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It created the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority which is in charge of human embryo research, along with monitoring and licensing ...

—explicitly notes that abortions performed under the terms of the 1967 Act are not offences under the 1929 Act. :No offence under the Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929 shall be committed by a registered medical practitioner who terminates a pregnancy in accordance with the provisions of this Act he Abortion Acts37 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990
legislation.gov.uk

Notes

References

External links

Parliamentary debates

United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1929 Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom concerning England and Wales English criminal law United Kingdom abortion law {{abortion-stub