Great Britain’s abortion laws survived the first serious assault on them in almost two decades this week, when an attempt to make them more restrictive was defeated in the House of Commons.

“Pro-life” MPs proposed a series of amendments to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill to lower the 24 week deadline for abortion to 12, 16, 20, and 22 weeks, but each amendment was defeated.

The result is that women will continue to have the right to abortion up to 24 weeks’ gestation in England, Wales, and Scotland if two doctors certify that the risk to her physical or mental health, or that to her child, will be greater if she continues with the pregnancy than if …