Mexico: Top court strikes down state abortion law, no punishment for terminating pregnancy

The Supreme Court of Mexico has decided that punishments for abortion are unlawful. Now, women in the northern state of Coahuila will not be punished if they get an abortion, according to a judgment. The state of Coahuila was ordered by the court on Tuesday to eliminate abortion-related penalties from its penal law. The citizens of the nation believe that ruling might open the path for abortion to be decriminalised throughout the country. 

Abortion is now only permitted in a few places; exceptions are in the case of rape or when the mother's life is in jeopardy. As per BBC, a judiciary official said that the judgment would influence throughout Mexico. The official further stated that women are allowed to conduct the surgery in those places where abortion is illegal but with a judge's permission. 

The judgment was characterised as revolutionary by the Information Group on Reproductive Choice (GIRE), which works for the rights of abortion. They hope that women and people who have the potential to bear a child across the nation have the circumstances and liberty to choose their reproductive future. 

More about Mexico abortion rule 

Except for four, all of the country's states have strong restrictions on abortion. Before the judgment, abortion was permitted in Mexico City and three other states throughout the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. However, Mexican states are allowed to make their own legislation, still, those can be nullified if they conflict with Supreme Court judgments that define the law. The historical decision in Mexico comes after Argentina's historic declaration of the right to an abortion at the beginning of this year. 

Previous developments in Mexico

Earlier, on Sunday, border security and migration authorities in Mexico's southern town of Hiuxtla stopped a migrant caravan of US-based with around 400 asylum seekers. Border officials arrested the migrants and attempted to break up the group barely a day after the outgoing vehicle left.  The caravan's passengers were primarily Central Americans, Haitians, and Venezuelans. 

The huge group had set off from the southern city of Tapachula and was travelling north when the vehicle was halted by Mexican National Guard personnel. The incident occurred less than a week after Mexican border officials successfully prevented another big group from trying to cross the border. It's worth noting that the United States' policy of requiring asylum applicants to remain in Mexico until their petitions are processed has resulted in one of the greatest migrant crises ever at the US-Mexico border. 

(Image Credit: AP)