Polish court says abortion due to foetal defects is unconstitutional

Poland's Constitutional Tribunal ruled on Thursday that abortion on the grounds of foetal defects contravened the constitution, setting up a legal framework which amounts to a near total ban on pregnancy termination in the predominantly Catholic country.

After the ruling goes into effect, abortion will be admissible only in the case of rape, incest or a threat to the mother's health and life. Conservative values have played a growing role in public life in Poland since the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) came into power five years ago on a promise to defend what it sees as the nation's traditional, Catholic character.

Curbing access to abortion has been a long-standing ambition of the party, but it has stepped back from previous legislative proposals amid widespread public backlash.