[princessmarisa]

I think it is dangerous to make abortion illegal after any point because then people will start to have backstreet abortions, or travel to countries it is legal in.

Also what if past the maximum week the mothers life was in danger, if abortion has become illegal whos life gets priority, and do we have to have lots of exceptions to the rule, that will just be abused anyway?

As science improves in theory the baby could survive outside the womb with medical intervention at earlier and earlier stages, if the current trend it to put the stopper where the child can survive alone. Does this mean in 10-20years abortions will be illegal after say 6weeks if science has developed an artificial womb?

If it is 24weeks currently this seems a compromise on enough time to allow the mothers realisation she is pregnant, her decision, and to deal with waiting lists and such for the operation. Any sooner and I worry that there will be no time to make the decision, get on the waiting list and have the operation in the 12weeks.

(Remember it isn't counted from the day you get pregnant, it is counted from the last day you had a real period, so you are often in the way it is measured 4weeks pregnant before you even realise.)
My own mum didn't know she was pregnant with me till after she had 2 period-like-spottings whilst pregnant and didn't really put on much weight.
This means in the way it was counted, by the time she found out she was pretty much out of time to make the decision if it was a 12week rule, if she had wanted to.

She was in her 30s, but young girls getting pregnant will have even more erratic cycles and always changing weight and feeling moody so might not notice till much later.

As I said I think the date should be until birth, theoretically. Although this is not really possible, and will have such strong opposition, that 24weeks seems a good compromise, and is not a decision that will have been made lightly by the authorities. If it was up to me I would push it back a little further really.