Leaked document shows Scottish lawmakers considering abortion up to birth for any reason 

The Scottish National Party may vote to allow women to abort babies for any reason throughout the third trimester, according to a leaked party document.

The party’s draft agenda for its October conference includes a motion called “Abortion Law Reform,” according to The National. The party could still remove the motion before the conference.

Scotland typically allows abortion through 24 weeks of pregnancy. It usually only allows abortions after 24 weeks for certain health reasons or fetal abnormalities.

Yet, the proposed motion would let women have abortions after 24 weeks without facing any criminal charges. That would also protect women who have sex-selective abortions, according to Right to Life UK.

The motion says Scotland should have abortion law “rooted in human rights and equality of access, not criminal law.”

If SNP members approve the motion, it would become party policy. The party says members can pursue approved motions in the Scottish government and the British Parliament.

The proposal comes after a Scottish government-appointed group called for fewer limits on abortion last year.

The group recommended keeping a 24-week limit for most abortions unless two health care workers approve it beyond 24 weeks – and for such reasons as physical or mental health and even social circumstances.

Additionally, the group opposed any ban on sex-selective abortions.

It also called for removing all legal penalties for women who perform their own abortions, as SNP’s draft agenda proposes.

“There should be no offences for anyone ending their own pregnancy and any common law offences should be repealed,” the report said.

The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children opposes SNP’s plan.

“Removing abortion from the criminal law altogether means removing the 24-week legal ceiling,” SPUC chief executive John Deighan said.

Deighan said the change would remove protections for viable unborn children.

Bishop John Keenan of Paisley also criticized the government-appointed group because it didn’t include any pro-lifers.

The 13-member group only included abortion providers and abortion-rights supporters.

Keenan said unborn children deserve legal protection.

“This human life merits some social respect and legal protection at some point in the womb,” he wrote.

Heartlander News previously reported that the U.K. House of Commons voted 379-137 in June 2025 to remove penalties for women who perform their own late-term abortions in England and Wales. It later became law as part of the Crime and Policing Act 2026.

It all comes as the abortion rate keeps rising in Scotland.

The country’s abortion rate rose from 11.9 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 in 2016 to 17.6 per 1,000 in 2025, according to Public Health Scotland.