Mexico City legislators vote to legalize abortion

Legal World

Mexico City legislators Tuesday passed a bill 46-19 that would legalize abortion within the city. The bill, proposed by the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), will require city hospitals to provide the procedure in the first trimester, although abortions after 12 weeks would still be illegal. Girls under 18 would have to get their parents' consent. The bill now goes to the city's mayor, Marcelo Ebrard, who is expected to sign it. Abortion opponents will probably appeal the law to the Supreme Court.

Abortion is generally illegal throughout the heavily Roman Catholic country, with exceptions only for cases of rape. Mexico City previously loosened the country's restriction to allow abortions when the health of the mother was in danger. Conservatives in the country, including Mexican President Felipe Calderon [official website] and his National Action Party (PAN) are strongly opposed to any change of abortion law, and have vowed to appeal the law to the Supreme Court. Supporters of the bill say that the current laws endanger poor women who, unlike wealthier Mexicans, cannot afford to travel to the United States for the surgery and so must resort to unsafe back-alley abortions. Last year Human Rights Watch (HRW) conducted an extensive study of abortion availability for rape victims in Mexico, finding that those seeking legal abortions often are intimidated with insults and threats of legal retaliation by both prosecutors and health workers.

Related listings

  • Russia opposition leader accuses police of brutality

    Russia opposition leader accuses police of brutality

    Legal World 04/23/2007

    Former chess champion and liberal United Civil Front leader Garry Kasparov has accused Russian police of "brutality" after meeting with Kremlin officials Friday to give an account of his treatment at the hands of police agents following his arrest pa...

  • Japan accepts verdict on "comfort women" issue

    Japan accepts verdict on "comfort women" issue

    Legal World 04/22/2007

    The Japanese government released a statement on Friday saying that it has no objection to the international tribunal's verdict in 1948 which found the Japanese military responsible for forcing Chinese women to provide sex to Japanese servicemen durin...

  • Anti-Castro militant released from US custody on bail

    Anti-Castro militant released from US custody on bail

    Legal World 04/20/2007

    Cuban anti-Castro militant Luis Posada Carriles posted bond and was released from a New Mexico jail on Thursday after ongoing debate about his release. Carriles, 79, a former CIA operative trained by the US for the failed anti-Castro Bay of Pigs inva...

Grounds for Divorce in Ohio - Sylkatis Law, LLC

A divorce in Ohio is filed when there is typically “fault” by one of the parties and party not at “fault” seeks to end the marriage. A court in Ohio may grant a divorce for the following reasons:
• Willful absence of the adverse party for one year
• Adultery
• Extreme cruelty
• Fraudulent contract
• Any gross neglect of duty
• Habitual drunkenness
• Imprisonment in a correctional institution at the time of filing the complaint
• Procurement of a divorce outside this state by the other party

Additionally, there are two “no-fault” basis for which a court may grant a divorce:
• When the parties have, without interruption for one year, lived separate and apart without cohabitation
• Incompatibility, unless denied by either party

However, whether or not the the court grants the divorce for “fault” or not, in Ohio the party not at “fault” will not get a bigger slice of the marital property.

Business News

St Peters, MO Professional License Attorney Attorney John Lynch has been the go-to choice for many professionals facing administrative sanction. >> read