Latest news with #Victorian-era
Courier-Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Courier-Mail
Albert Park: Essendon's Andrew McGrath's $2m+ deal
Bombers' vice-captain Andrew McGrath and fiance Emma Laughlin have scored a seven-figure sale for their Albert Park house. The couple put their renovated Victorian-era residence on the market in March. Kay & Burton partner James Driver, who had the listing alongside colleague Campbell Kilsby, declined to comment on the price it fetched. RELATED: Swans icon's family farewells Melbourne home after 115 years Toorak mansion Coonac rumoured to have been sold by ex-Essendon boss Paul Little David Zaharakis: Former Essendon star scores $3.5m+ payday for Lower Plenty home But industry sources indicated the three-bedroom abode recently sold above its asking range for $2.675m. McGrath previously told the Herald Sun that he purchased the double-storey pad at 85 Richardson St as his first home, at the age of 21. Prior to Ms Laughlin moving in, he counted Essendon players Jordan Ridley and Sam Durham among his housemates. 'They're like brothers to me and we spent a lot of time enjoying the house and sharing commutes to work,' McGrath said at the time. 'On days off, we had a lot of trips to the beach, as three athletes we spent a lot of time there in recovery and took advantage of the great cafes nearby.' In 2016, McGrath joined the Bombers as number one pick in the national draft. The defender has since collected a number of awards including multiple gongs from his own club, the 2020 Adam Ramanauskas Most Courageous Player award among them. He also received the 2023 and 2024 Bruce Heymanson Best Clubman award. In 2022, McGrath played his 100th match for Essendon and was appointed the team's vice-captain the next year. The Albert Park house's kitchen is fitted with stone benches, Miele appliances and an integrated fridge and freezer. A gas fireplace graces the living and dining area, while floor-to-ceiling sliding doors lead to a rear outdoor space where McGrath added a deck. Two ground-floor bedrooms feature wardrobes, ornate ceilings and open fireplaces. Upstairs, the main bedroom has a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite. Mr Driver said that three sets of buyers competed for the keys during an expressions of interest process before a couple emerged as the successful purchasers. 'There was really strong interest, the property was well inspected from day one by a combination of local and out-of-area buyers,' Mr Driver said. He said that with the Reserve Bank of Australia widely expected to announce further rate cuts to the nation's official cash rate later this year, more buyers were making offers 'rather than sitting on the sidelines'. 'Consumer confidence has lifted in the property market,' Mr Driver added. Sign up to the Herald Sun Weekly Real Estate Update. Click here to get the latest Victorian property market news delivered direct to your inbox. MORE: Nick Kyrgios sells Sydney penthouse for $1.9 million Actor Shane Jacobson reveals plans after buying country Vic pub Melb couple list ex-brothel, reveal wild reno that made it a home
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
British lawmakers vote to decriminalize abortion for pregnant women while America cracks down
British lawmakers voted Tuesday to decriminalize abortion for the pregnant woman – in striking contrast to the crackdown on reproductive rights in the United States. Lawmakers voted by an overwhelming majority to invalidate Victorian-era legislation that makes it possible to prosecute a woman for ending her pregnancy in England and Wales, though medical professionals who help terminate a pregnancy beyond certain limits will still be breaking the law. Currently, abortion beyond the first 24 weeks of pregnancy is illegal in those two parts of the United Kingdom. Beyond that time limit, it is permitted in certain circumstances, such as when the mother's life is at risk. While abortions are common in England and Wales, women who terminate their pregnancy outside of existing restrictions face the threat of criminal investigation, arrest, prosecution and even imprisonment. Tuesday's vote – which amends a draft policing and crime law – seeks to remove those threats. The amended bill needs to pass through both chambers of the UK parliament before it can become law. The vast majority of Britons believe women should have the right to an abortion, according to YouGov surveys stretching back to 2019. The latest poll, conducted in April, showed that 88% of respondents supported that right. Britain's vote comes as its ally across the Atlantic has dramatically restricted abortion rights. Since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 – which had enshrined abortion as a constitutional right – many US states have introduced severe restrictions or outright bans on the practice. The changes have completely upended the landscape of reproductive health and choice in America. Louise McCudden, UK head of external affairs at MSI Reproductive Choices, a charity providing abortions, thinks there is a connection between Tuesday's vote and a 'hostile climate' toward abortion rights in the UK driven by the changes in the US. McCudden told CNN there had been an 'increase in activity from anti-choice groups outside (MSI) clinics' that feel 'emboldened' by the crackdown on abortion rights across the pond. 'On the rare occasions when you do see women who are suspected of ending a pregnancy over 24 weeks, they are invariably in extremely vulnerable situations,' she also said, noting that the women who had been investigated in the UK included domestic abuse survivors, potential trafficking survivors and women who'd had miscarriages and stillbirths. However, the UK's Society for the Protection of Unborn Children strongly condemned Tuesday's vote. 'If this clause becomes law, a woman who aborts her baby at any point in pregnancy, even moments before birth, would not be committing a criminal offense,' Alithea Williams, the society's public policy manager, said in a statement Tuesday. 'Now, even the very limited protection afforded by the law is being stripped away,' she added. CNN's Kara Fox contributed reporting.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
UK parliament votes to decriminalise abortion, repeal Victorian-era law
London: Britain's parliament voted on Tuesday to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales to stop a growing number of women from being investigated by police for terminating pregnancies under legislation dating back to the mid-19th century. Abortions have been legal in England and Wales for almost 60 years but only up to 24 weeks and with the approval of two doctors. Women can face criminal charges if they decide to end a pregnancy after 24 weeks under a Victorian-era law that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. In Britain, criminal convictions for breaking this law are rare, but the number of prosecutions has increased following the COVID-19 pandemic when a change in the law allowed abortion pills to be taken at home to end pregnancies within 10 weeks of conception. In a free vote in parliament, when politicians were not ordered to vote along party lines, lawmakers gave an initial approval by 379 votes to 137 for an amendment to stop prosecutions for women who end pregnancies in all circumstances. Medical professionals who assist women in obtaining an abortion outside the 24-week limit could still face prosecution. The proposal could still be altered or even voted down as it is a part of a greater bill that is making its way through the House of Commons and the unelected upper chamber of parliament. Labour Member of Parliament Tonia Antoniazzi, who proposed the amendment, said the current law had been used to investigate 100 women in the last five years, including some who had given birth prematurely or had been forced into abortions by abusive partners. "Each one of these cases is a travesty enabled by our outdated abortion law," she told parliament. "This is not justice, it is cruelty and it has got to end." The vote was part of a broader government criminal justice bill that if passed in its entirety would bring the abortion laws in England and Wales in line with other Western countries including France, Canada and Australia. 'NO CONSEQUENCES' Some politicians warned the proposed amendment was being rushed through parliament and could have unintended consequences. Rebecca Paul, a Conservative member of parliament, warned "if this becomes law, fully developed babies up to term could be aborted by a woman with no consequences." The amendment would revoke parts of a law passed in 1861 by a then all-male parliament that made deliberately ending a pregnancy a crime and stipulated that those who carried it out could be "kept in penal servitude for life". A change to the law in 1967 permitted abortions in certain circumstances, but left the 19th century criminal prohibition in place. Between 1861 and 2022, only three women in Britain were convicted of having illegal abortions, according to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which works to improve women's healthcare. But since then, six women have been charged by police, the group said. One woman has been jailed. In May, a British woman, Nicola Packer, was acquitted after taking prescribed abortion medicine when she was around 26 weeks pregnant, beyond the legal limit of 10 weeks for taking such medication at home.
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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
UK votes to decriminalise abortion in England, Wales, ending 1861-era law
UK lawmakers have voted to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales, removing the threat of criminal prosecution for women who end their pregnancies, a move seen as a 'crucial milestone' for reproductive rights. The House of Commons passed the landmark amendment on Tuesday (local time) as part of a broader crime bill, with 379 MPs in favour and 137 against. Supporters say the change will protect vulnerable women from being prosecuted under a Victorian-era law. Abortion was decriminalised in Northern Ireland in 2019, and campaigners have long urged similar reform in the rest of the United Kingdom. UK abortion reform seeks to end 1861 law Although abortion has been legal in England, Scotland and Wales since 1967, up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, or later in specific cases, the 1861 law has technically allowed prosecutions in cases that fall outside that framework. Specific high-profile cases in the UK spurred urgency for reform, with critics arguing that women were being penalised while undergoing deeply distressing situations. Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, who introduced the amendment, said prosecutions under the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act were outdated and inhumane. Over the past five years, police have investigated more than 100 women in England and Wales for suspected illegal abortions, including women who had suffered miscarriages or stillbirths. 'This piece of legislation will only take women out of the criminal justice system because they are vulnerable and they need our help,' Antoniazzi said during the debate. 'Just what public interest is this serving? This is not justice, it is cruelty, and it has got to end.' UK backs abortion decriminalisation In contrast to the UK's decriminalisation; the US is witnessing growing restrictions. Since the Supreme Court's 2022 decision in Dobbs vs Jackson Women's Health Organisation, states have enacted abortion bans—some with no exceptions after cardiac activity is detected (around six weeks). Nineteen states now impose near-total bans, with others limiting abortions to six to twenty weeks. For instance, in Georgia, a brain-dead pregnant woman was kept on life support until delivering via C-section due to a strict six-week ban defining fetal personhood and offering limited exceptions. The UK crime bill must now pass a final vote in the Commons before heading to the House of Lords, where peers may delay but not block it.
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Advertiser
UK votes to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales
Britain's parliament has voted to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales to stop a growing number of women from being investigated by police for terminating pregnancies under legislation dating back to the mid-19th century. Abortions have been legal in England and Wales for almost 60 years but only up to 24 weeks and with the approval of two doctors. Women can face criminal charges if they decide to end a pregnancy after 24 weeks under a Victorian-era law that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. In Britain, criminal convictions for breaking this law are rare, but the number of prosecutions has increased following the COVID-19 pandemic when a change in the law allowed abortion pills to be taken at home to end pregnancies within 10 weeks of conception. In a free vote in parliament, when politicians were not ordered to vote along party lines, MPs gave an initial approval by 379 votes to 137 for an amendment to stop prosecutions for women who end pregnancies in all circumstances. Medical professionals who assist women in obtaining an abortion outside the 24-week limit could still face prosecution. The proposal could still be altered or even voted down as it is a part of a greater bill that is making its way through the House of Commons and the unelected upper chamber of parliament. Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, who proposed the amendment, said the current law had been used to investigate 100 women in the last five years, including some who had given birth prematurely or had been forced into abortions by abusive partners. "Each one of these cases is a travesty enabled by our outdated abortion law," she told parliament. "This is not justice, it is cruelty and it has got to end." The vote was part of a broader government criminal justice bill that if passed in its entirety would bring the abortion laws in England and Wales in line with other Western countries including France, Canada and Australia. The amendment would revoke parts of a law passed in 1861 by a then all-male parliament that made deliberately ending a pregnancy a crime and stipulated that those who carried it out could be "kept in penal servitude for life". A change to the law in 1967 permitted abortions in certain circumstances, but left the 19th century criminal prohibition in place. Between 1861 and 2022, only three women in Britain were convicted of having illegal abortions, according to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which works to improve women's healthcare. But since then, six women have been charged by police, the group said. One woman has been jailed. In May, a British woman, Nicola Packer, was acquitted after taking prescribed abortion medicine when she was around 26 weeks pregnant, beyond the legal limit of 10 weeks for taking such medication at home. Britain's parliament has voted to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales to stop a growing number of women from being investigated by police for terminating pregnancies under legislation dating back to the mid-19th century. Abortions have been legal in England and Wales for almost 60 years but only up to 24 weeks and with the approval of two doctors. Women can face criminal charges if they decide to end a pregnancy after 24 weeks under a Victorian-era law that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. In Britain, criminal convictions for breaking this law are rare, but the number of prosecutions has increased following the COVID-19 pandemic when a change in the law allowed abortion pills to be taken at home to end pregnancies within 10 weeks of conception. In a free vote in parliament, when politicians were not ordered to vote along party lines, MPs gave an initial approval by 379 votes to 137 for an amendment to stop prosecutions for women who end pregnancies in all circumstances. Medical professionals who assist women in obtaining an abortion outside the 24-week limit could still face prosecution. The proposal could still be altered or even voted down as it is a part of a greater bill that is making its way through the House of Commons and the unelected upper chamber of parliament. Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, who proposed the amendment, said the current law had been used to investigate 100 women in the last five years, including some who had given birth prematurely or had been forced into abortions by abusive partners. "Each one of these cases is a travesty enabled by our outdated abortion law," she told parliament. "This is not justice, it is cruelty and it has got to end." The vote was part of a broader government criminal justice bill that if passed in its entirety would bring the abortion laws in England and Wales in line with other Western countries including France, Canada and Australia. The amendment would revoke parts of a law passed in 1861 by a then all-male parliament that made deliberately ending a pregnancy a crime and stipulated that those who carried it out could be "kept in penal servitude for life". A change to the law in 1967 permitted abortions in certain circumstances, but left the 19th century criminal prohibition in place. Between 1861 and 2022, only three women in Britain were convicted of having illegal abortions, according to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which works to improve women's healthcare. But since then, six women have been charged by police, the group said. One woman has been jailed. In May, a British woman, Nicola Packer, was acquitted after taking prescribed abortion medicine when she was around 26 weeks pregnant, beyond the legal limit of 10 weeks for taking such medication at home. Britain's parliament has voted to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales to stop a growing number of women from being investigated by police for terminating pregnancies under legislation dating back to the mid-19th century. Abortions have been legal in England and Wales for almost 60 years but only up to 24 weeks and with the approval of two doctors. Women can face criminal charges if they decide to end a pregnancy after 24 weeks under a Victorian-era law that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. In Britain, criminal convictions for breaking this law are rare, but the number of prosecutions has increased following the COVID-19 pandemic when a change in the law allowed abortion pills to be taken at home to end pregnancies within 10 weeks of conception. In a free vote in parliament, when politicians were not ordered to vote along party lines, MPs gave an initial approval by 379 votes to 137 for an amendment to stop prosecutions for women who end pregnancies in all circumstances. Medical professionals who assist women in obtaining an abortion outside the 24-week limit could still face prosecution. The proposal could still be altered or even voted down as it is a part of a greater bill that is making its way through the House of Commons and the unelected upper chamber of parliament. Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, who proposed the amendment, said the current law had been used to investigate 100 women in the last five years, including some who had given birth prematurely or had been forced into abortions by abusive partners. "Each one of these cases is a travesty enabled by our outdated abortion law," she told parliament. "This is not justice, it is cruelty and it has got to end." The vote was part of a broader government criminal justice bill that if passed in its entirety would bring the abortion laws in England and Wales in line with other Western countries including France, Canada and Australia. The amendment would revoke parts of a law passed in 1861 by a then all-male parliament that made deliberately ending a pregnancy a crime and stipulated that those who carried it out could be "kept in penal servitude for life". A change to the law in 1967 permitted abortions in certain circumstances, but left the 19th century criminal prohibition in place. Between 1861 and 2022, only three women in Britain were convicted of having illegal abortions, according to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which works to improve women's healthcare. But since then, six women have been charged by police, the group said. One woman has been jailed. In May, a British woman, Nicola Packer, was acquitted after taking prescribed abortion medicine when she was around 26 weeks pregnant, beyond the legal limit of 10 weeks for taking such medication at home. Britain's parliament has voted to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales to stop a growing number of women from being investigated by police for terminating pregnancies under legislation dating back to the mid-19th century. Abortions have been legal in England and Wales for almost 60 years but only up to 24 weeks and with the approval of two doctors. Women can face criminal charges if they decide to end a pregnancy after 24 weeks under a Victorian-era law that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. In Britain, criminal convictions for breaking this law are rare, but the number of prosecutions has increased following the COVID-19 pandemic when a change in the law allowed abortion pills to be taken at home to end pregnancies within 10 weeks of conception. In a free vote in parliament, when politicians were not ordered to vote along party lines, MPs gave an initial approval by 379 votes to 137 for an amendment to stop prosecutions for women who end pregnancies in all circumstances. Medical professionals who assist women in obtaining an abortion outside the 24-week limit could still face prosecution. The proposal could still be altered or even voted down as it is a part of a greater bill that is making its way through the House of Commons and the unelected upper chamber of parliament. Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, who proposed the amendment, said the current law had been used to investigate 100 women in the last five years, including some who had given birth prematurely or had been forced into abortions by abusive partners. "Each one of these cases is a travesty enabled by our outdated abortion law," she told parliament. "This is not justice, it is cruelty and it has got to end." The vote was part of a broader government criminal justice bill that if passed in its entirety would bring the abortion laws in England and Wales in line with other Western countries including France, Canada and Australia. The amendment would revoke parts of a law passed in 1861 by a then all-male parliament that made deliberately ending a pregnancy a crime and stipulated that those who carried it out could be "kept in penal servitude for life". A change to the law in 1967 permitted abortions in certain circumstances, but left the 19th century criminal prohibition in place. Between 1861 and 2022, only three women in Britain were convicted of having illegal abortions, according to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which works to improve women's healthcare. But since then, six women have been charged by police, the group said. One woman has been jailed. In May, a British woman, Nicola Packer, was acquitted after taking prescribed abortion medicine when she was around 26 weeks pregnant, beyond the legal limit of 10 weeks for taking such medication at home.
