Legal aspects involved in the development of anti-progesterones for fertility control.

The development of medical means of inducing abortion requires a detailed knowledge of the abortion legislation. It is vital that these compounds are developed and used within the legal constraints of the country involved. In the United Kingdom, despite the Act of Union (1707), England and Scotland have not united under one legal system. In England the common law on abortion was superseded by the Offences Against the Persons Act (1861) which declared abortion illegal. This Act does not apply to Scotland where, up until 1967, common law applied. The Abortion Act of 1967 is an exemption act allowing abortion, under certain restrictions, to be legally performed. Whilst post-coital contraception is not covered by any of the abortion legislation, it is clear that contragestion and medical abortion is restricted by the current abortion legislation, hence medication will need to be taken in hospital.