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Crime brief: 7 July 2023

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Recent judgments have highlighted the interaction between abortion time limits, criminal law & human rights, as David Walbank KC explains
  • Abortion and the criminal law.
  • No time limit on termination where child may be ‘seriously handicapped’.
  • Declaration of incompatibility refused.

The recent case of Carla Foster has brought the issue of abortion and the criminal law back onto the front pages. Foster, aged 44 years, was handed a 28-month prison sentence in June after she admitted to illegally procuring her own abortion at a late stage of the pregnancy. The case hit the headlines after she pleaded guilty to taking tablets, delivered through the post, in order to abort baby Lily, who was between 32 and 34 weeks’ gestation at the time.

Her prison sentence was immediately followed by a large-scale demonstration in central London. Protestors marched from the Royal Courts of Justice to Whitehall, carrying placards saying ‘Abortion is Healthcare’ and ‘Policing Our Bodies is the Real Crime’. The ultimate aim of some campaigners

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Katten Muchin Rosenman—Charlotte Hill

Katten Muchin Rosenman—Charlotte Hill

Katten strengthens financial markets and funds group in London

Hugh James—Keith Cundall & Lee Hart

Hugh James—Keith Cundall & Lee Hart

Hugh James expands national Serious Injury team with two new Partners

HFW—Rémi Ducloyer

HFW—Rémi Ducloyer

HFW continues Paris office growth with public law Partner hire

NEWS
The Court of Appeal's decision in Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys LLP has lifted months of uncertainty for Chartered Legal Executives while prompting a rethink of regulation and supervision
The assisted dying debate returns to Westminster as Lauren Edwards MP reintroduces legislation that stalled in the House of Lords last session despite clearing the Commons
A little-noticed provision of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 has fundamentally expanded corporate criminal liability
Artificial intelligence is transforming legal practice, but careless reliance on it is creating growing professional risks
The law offers cohabiting couples surprisingly greater protection after one partner dies than when they separate during life
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