The Act was signed into law on 27 October 1967, and came into force six months later.

Today, Thursday 27th October, marks the 49th anniversary of the Abortion Act being signed into law.

The bill that decriminalised abortion under certain grounds received Royal Assent on 27 October 1967. Although the act did not come into force until six months later, it marked the start of legal abortion in Great Britain. The bill was added into law at the same time as acts such as the Sea Fisheries (Shellfish) Act, 1967, and Countryside (Scotland) Act, 1967.

Protecting mothers and babies from abortion

Reflecting on the anniversary, John Smeaton, SPUC's chief executive said: "All unborn children and their mothers must be protected from the violence and injustice of abortion.

"According to the latest government statistics, 8,525,974 babies have been killed by abortion since 1967. Not only does this go far beyond what the supporters of the act intended, it shows that when abortion is made acceptable in even limited circumstances, the defence against killing any unborn child is torn away. This anniversary shows that the only lasting protection for society's weakest, most vulnerable human beings, ultimately, are moral absolutes. Our aim must be to stop abortion completely whilst offering positive support to women in crisis. We need to make the idea of abortion being completely illegal normal- because it really is normal not to kill children."