The amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill was hailed as the biggest upgrade to England and Wales' abortion laws since terminations were partially legalized in 1967 — for pregnancies before the 24-week stage and with the approval of two doctors. Scotland has a devolved parliament and will consider the issue separately.

The vote to decriminalise the procedure is the biggest change to abortion laws in England and Wales for nearly 60 years.

The UK's original abortion law - approved in 1861 - stipulated that deliberately ending a pregnancy was a crime, and those who carried it out could be kept in penal servitude for life. The Parliament has now approved an amendment to that law to stop women from being prosecuted,