The Abortion (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2002

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations which extend to England amend the Abortion Regulations 1991 (“the principal Regulations”).

They amend regulation 3 of the principal Regulations to provide for certificates of opinion given pursuant to sections 1(1) and 1(4) of the 1967 Act to be given either in the form set out in Part I and Part II of the Schedule to those Regulations or in a certificate containing the information specified in that regulation (regulation 3).

They substitute a new Schedule 2 to the principal Regulations specifying the information to be notified to the Chief Medical Officer on the termination of a pregnancy and provide for the notification to be sent in a sealed envelope or transmitted as an electronic communication using an electronic communications system used solely for the transfer of confidential information to him within 14 days of the termination (regulations 4 and 6).

They also provide for the notice of termination of pregnancy and accompanying information to be disclosed to an individual authorised by the Chief Medical Officer who is engaged in setting up, maintaining and supporting a computer system used for the purpose of recording, processing and holding such notice or information (regulation 5(a)) and to a woman whose pregnancy has been terminated, on her supplying to the Chief Medical Officer written details of her date of birth, the date and place of the termination and a copy of the certificate of registration of her birth certified as a true copy of the original by a solicitor or a practitioner (regulation 5(b)).