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Spain congress approves bill easing abortion laws

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Spain's lower house of parliament, the Congress of Deputies on Thursday approved a bill that would ease restrictions on abortions. The bill passed by a vote of 183-158 with two abstentions. Current Spanish abortion law dates from 1985, after the end of the Franco regime. Abortions are permitted only in the case of rape, up to 12 weeks, severe fetal malformation, up to 22 weeks, or if the woman's physical or mental health is in danger. Under the proposed legislation, abortion would be permitted up to 14 weeks for any reason and up to 22 weeks if there is severe fetal malformation or a serious risk to the mother. Women aged 16 or 17 would also be allowed to have an abortion without parental consent, but would have to inform their parents. The bill must now go before the Senate. In October, hundreds of thousands of protesters rallied in Madrid in opposition to the proposed legislation. Spain's Council of State approved the bill in September. The changes were proposed in March by a panel of legal and medical experts led by Minister of Equality Bibiano Aido, eliciting widespread protests throughout Spain. The panel was formed last September at the request of Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero as part of a series of social reforms that have included same-sex marriage and streamlined divorce proceedings. The conservative Popular Party has repeatedly expressed the opinion that relaxed abortion laws would stand in opposition to Article 15 of the Spanish Constitution, which guarantees the right to life. Spanish abortion laws are among the most restrictive in European nations.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on December 17, 2009 (boomark / email).