MIAMI: A federal judge on Tuesday blocked a strict abortion ban in Alabama that would punish doctors with up to 99 years in prison for performing the procedure.
The ban was set to go into effect Nov 15 but US District Judge Myron Thompson granted an injunction pending resolution of a lawsuit that argues the law is unconstitutional.
“The plaintiffs have shown a substantial likelihood of success on the merits of their claim,” Thompson said.
“Enforcement of the ban would yield serious and irreparable harm, violating the right to privacy and preventing women from obtaining abortions in Alabama,” he said.
The law equates abortion to homicide and bans it in nearly all cases, including rape or incest, and at all stages of pregnancy.
The only exceptions under the law would be in cases that present “serious health risks” to the woman or in which a fetus is deemed not to be viable. — AFP