The Parliament of Luxembourg — the western European country bordering Belgium, Germany, and France — has abolished its previously mandated three-day waiting period for women seeking abortions.
While the government rejected a motion to move the gestational age limit for an abortion from 12 weeks to 14 weeks, it is set to consider an amendment to enshrine abortion in the country’s constitution.
Key Takeaways:
- A majority of Luxembourg’s Chamber voted to pass a bill that eliminated the requirement for a three-day waiting period between an initial abortion consultation and the actual abortion.
- The Alternative Democratic Reform Party opposed eliminating the waiting period because they believed it could cause the decision to end one’s child’s life to be ‘trivialized.’
- The Chamber rejected an attempt to expand the country’s abortion limit from 12 weeks gestation to 14 weeks gestation.
The Details:
According to Luxembourg Times and RTL Today, the government sent Draft Bill 8490 to the Chamber of Deputies for review and adoption in January. Draft Bill 8490 contained provisions to eliminate the requirement that a woman wait three days between her initial abortion consultation and her abortion procedure.
A majority of Chamber members voted to pass the law last week.
“The move received broad parliamentary support, with only the Alternative Democratic Reform Party (ADR) opposing it. The ADR argued that eliminating the waiting period could lead to the trivialisation of abortion,” RTL reported.
Why It Matters:
Mandatory waiting periods between initial consultations and abortions are meant to give women time to consider the procedure. Laws mandating such waiting periods do not prevent women from making the decision to have abortions, though research confirms the fact that a high number of women do not follow through with their decision to have abortions when waiting periods are mandatory.
Right To Life UK spokesperson, Catherine Robinson, previously said:
It is hardly surprising that there could be a link between having a waiting period in law and a reduction in the number of women that go on to have an abortion. Even supporters of abortion who typically frame the debate around ‘choice’, should favour the introduction of waiting periods. They clearly give women a chance to consider their options, and perhaps find the help they need to go through with their pregnancy.
A proposal from the Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP) to extend the gestational age limit on abortions from 12 weeks to 14 weeks gestation was rejected by the parliament due to concerns about the advanced development of the preborn child at that stage of pregnancy.
14 weeks gestation, 4D/HD comparison (Photo: The 4D Ultrasound Lady – Facebook)
Elective abortions are permitted through 12 weeks of pregnancy in Luxembourg. Abortions can be committed after 12 weeks of pregnancy if doctors determine that pregnancy poses a risk to the mother’s life or health or if the unborn child is diagnosed with a disease or defect.
What’s Next:
A proposed constitutional amendment guaranteeing a right to abortion in Luxembourg’s constitution could radicalize abortion laws in the country.
The amendment has cleared the State Council and will be voted on by Parliament, with a two-thirds majority needed for the amendment to enshrine abortion in the constitution.
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