| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act to amend the law with regard to the destruction of children at or before birth. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 19 & 20 Geo. 5. c. 34 |
| Territorial extent | England and Wales[2] |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 10 May 1929 |
| Commencement | 10 May 1929[3] |
Status: Amended | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Revised text of statute as amended | |
The Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929 (19 & 20 Geo. 5. c. 34) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It created the offence of child destruction. The Act retains three sections, the most substantive legal changes of which are in the first section.
The bill preceding it was introduced as the Child Destruction Bill. It was reintroduced in the next session as the Preservation of Infant Life Bill.[4]
Section 1(1)'s caveat of the Act amended section 58 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861 so that abortions and child destruction carried out in good faith for the sole purpose of preserving the life of the mother were no longer an offence.
- ^ This short title is conferred by section 3(1) of this Act.
- ^ This is the effect of section 3(2) of this Act and the presumption that an Act of Parliament applies to the United Kingdom unless the contrary is specified
- ^ This Act came into force on the date that it received royal assent because no other date was specified: Acts of Parliament (Commencement) Act 1793
- ^ HL Deb. Vol 72. 269.