People's Party appeals new law on abortion to Spanish Supreme Court

Madrid, Spain, Jun 2, 2010 / 19:52 pm

Spain’s People's Party has challenged the constitutionality of the Socialist government’s new law on abortion slated to take effect on July 5. 

The law would allow abortion up to the 14th week of pregnancy, and up to the 22nd week in certain circumstances.

A spokesman for the People's Party, Federico Trillo, told reporters the party considers the law to be “contrary to the right to life as it was interpreted by the Supreme Court in its 1985 ruling” allowing abortion up to the 14th week.

Trillo said the new law does not treat abortion as an “exception or as a practice harmful for the mother and child, but rather turns it into an unrestricted right,” and it allows minors to obtain abortions without parental consent.

He added that the People's Party would consider overturning the legislation were it to regain power in the next elections.  He then pointed out that allowing abortion up to the 14th week without any objective reason that would “at least formally justify the sacrificing of the life of an unborn child.”

Trillo also noted that the new law gives no explanation as to why the limit for obtaining abortion is set at the 14th instead of the 12th or 16th week, or what changes in the fetus occur that would disqualify it from protection either before the 14th week or after.

He underscored that allowing abortion up to the 22nd week in cases of life of the mother could be a loophole to allow more access to the practice.