Douglas, Isle of Man, Jan 16, 2019 / 12:39 pm
The Isle of Man's Abortion Reform Bill 2018 gained royal assent Tuesday, meaning women in the territory will soon be able to procure elective abortion up to 14 weeks of pregnancy.
Abortion policy on the the Isle of Man, a crown dependency located between England and Northern Ireland, had been governed by the Termination of Pregnancy Act 1995, which allows abortion only in cases where the mother's life is endangered or if the baby has a low survival rate.
Royal assent was given Jan. 15 by Richard Gozney, Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man.
Abortion rights supporters have urged the Department of Health and Social Care to enact the change as soon as possible.