# Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act 1985, Section 2: Saving for necessary surgical operations.


(1) Subsection (1)(a) of section 1 shall not render unlawful the performance of a surgical operation if that operation—
(a) is necessary for the physical or mental health of the person on whom it is performed and is performed by a registered medical practitioner; or
(b) is performed on a person who is in any stage of labour or has just given birth and is so performed for purposes connected with that labour or birth by—
(i) a registered medical practitioner or a registered midwife; or
(ii) a person undergoing a course of training with a view to becoming a registered medical practitioner or a registered midwife.
(2) In determining for the purposes of this section whether an operation is necessary for the mental health of a person, no account shall be taken of the effect on that person of any belief on the part of that or any other person that the operation is required as a matter of custom or ritual.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1985/38/section/2 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/prohibition-of-female-circumcision-act-1985/section-2
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.