Abortion has been decriminalised in New Zealand in a landmark bill that means women will now be able to have the procedure up to 20 weeks into a pregnancy.

The legislation, which comes after decades of campaigning by frontline service providers, means abortion is now deemed as healthcare rather than a crime.

Andrew Little, New Zealand’s Justice Minister, said: “From now abortions will be rightly treated as a health issue.

“The previous law required a woman seeking an abortion to go through many hoops. The changes agreed to by parliament will better ensure women get advice and treatment in a more timely way.”

The public was going to be consulted on the issue in a referendum but the government changed the plan late on Wednesday – with the bill passing parliament late on Wednesday by 68 votes to 51.

The previous abortion law, which had not been updated for over 40 years, stipulated abortion was an offence and it was only lawful for women to get abortions if two doctors attested to the fact carrying on with the pregnancy would put her mental or physical health in “serious” jeopardy.

But under the new laws, a woman will be able to have an abortion up to 20 weeks into a pregnancy, with advice from her doctor.

Abortion within the first 24 weeks of pregnancy has been permitted in England, Wales and Scotland for decades.

The legislation was issued by Jacinda Ardern’s government and is a key part of her legacy – with the decriminalisation of abortions being one of her electoral campaign pledges.

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In 2018, New Zealand became the first country in the world to pass legislation allowing victims of domestic abuse 10 days of paid leave from work to allow them to escape their partner’s abuse.

Ms Ardern, who refers to herself as a feminist, made history by bringing her baby daughter into the United Nations assembly hall in September of that year.