Mexico’s Supreme Court decriminalises abortion throughout the nation
The decision that was taken on September 6 will make abortions more accessible nationwide, which is a significant triumph for pro-abortion activists in the largely Roman Catholic nation.
- Sep 07, 2023,
- Updated Sep 07, 2023, 11:16 AM IST
Mexico’s Supreme Court on September 6, brought down a federal law criminalizing abortion, reaffirming an earlier rule that criminal penalties for abortion were unconstitutional and allowing the federal healthcare system to provide services.
In 2021, the 11-justice Supreme Court of Mexico ruled that criminalising abortion was unconstitutional, however the decision only extended to the northern state of Coahuila, where the case was originally brought.
The decision that was taken on September 6 will make abortions more accessible nationwide, which is a significant triumph for pro-abortion activists in the largely Roman Catholic nation.
Additionally, it represents the most current development in Latin America in recent years on reproductive rights. In contrast, the Supreme Court of the United States invalidated the right to a legal abortion in 2022, and over half of the country's 50 states have significantly curtailed access.
"We wouldn't have this ruling if we didn't have the Coahuila one two years ago, but I would say that the one today has more reach, definitely in terms of access to abortion," said Isabel Fulda, deputy director of the Information Group on Reproductive Choice (GIRE), the advocacy group that brought the case.
In a case against the federal penal code, the court concurred with GIRE and ruled that the national law's prohibition of abortion could no longer be enforced.
In a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, the court said it found the abortion section of the federal penal code unconstitutional and that it violated the rights of those who can have children.
In a case against the federal penal code, the court concurred with GIRE and ruled that the national law's prohibition of abortion could no longer be enforced.
In a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, the court said it found the abortion section of the federal penal code unconstitutional and that it violated the rights of those who can have children.
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