In the United Kingdom, women can now have abortions at home legally—despite a Christian legal group’s contention that the decision was made without proper parliamentary and medical scrutiny.

In March, the government relaxed its abortion rules due to the spread of COVID-19, allowing women to have medical abortions at home with only a phone call or video consultation.

The procedure is now legally available for women who are up to 10 weeks pregnant, with abortion pills delivered directly to their homes. The government plans for these measures to remain in place for up to two years.

In April, Christian Concern launched a legal challenge against the Department for Health and Social Care, arguing that the government’s decision to alter abortion policy “usurps proper parliamentary procedure” and would put women’s lives at risk.

The group also wants to expose the influence of the abortion industry on the government, which has now “allowed a pregnant woman’s home to become a place for ‘DIY’ abortion.”

“We need to expose this for the good of democracy, for the good of women and to protect our lives, and the lives of future generations,” said Andrea Williams, chief executive of Christian Concern.

In a ruling earlier this week, senior judges rejected the case and refused permission for a full judicial review. One judge said that Christian Concern’s grounds for legal action “are not properly arguable.”

“The issue of abortion raises questions of ethics and social policy on which many people have strongly held views, which are sometimes diametrically opposed and irreconcilable,” Lord Justice Singh of the English Court of Appeal said.

Christian Concern intends to appeal the decision to the High Court.

“Today’s judgment is disappointing but not the end of the road,” Williams said. “The evidence in this case clearly shows the abortion industry exerting overwhelming pressure on the Department of Health with misleading information.

“While Parliament was shut down, clear promises and assurances were broken by the government on flimsy, biased and incomplete evidence given by abortion industry insiders with access to top civil service activists … . The general public should be appalled that the Civil Service has been hijacked by the abortion industry and ministers have become powerless in the face of it.

“This is not an academic matter,” Williams added. “As the government said itself, this policy puts many vulnerable women at risk.”

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