Santiago, Chile, Aug 23, 2017 / 23:25 pm
A Chilean court ruled this week in favor of a controversial bill that allows abortion in some cases, against the objections of pro-life advocates who pointed to the Constitution's explicit protections for the unborn.
The bill allows for abortion in cases of rape, danger to the mother's life, and when the baby is deemed to be "unviable." The legislation had been promoted for years by President Michelle Bachelet and was recently passed by the Senate.
However, opponents of the bill had challenged it in court, arguing that it collides with the duty in the Chilean Constitution to "protect the life of the unborn."
After a three-day debate, the Constitutional Court of Chile ruled in a 6-4 vote that the bill did not violate the Constitution. The court will issue its final report next week, allowing the bill to be signed into law.