AGENCIES: Abortion has been decriminalized across Australia after the last remaining state where it was illegal, New South Wales (NSW), voted to reform its laws.
The bill, passed on Thursday, overturns a 119-year-old law which had been criticized by opponents as archaic.
The legislation had generated weeks of heated debate and deeply divided the state’s conservative government.
Previously, abortions were possible in NSW only if a doctor deemed there was “serious risk” to a woman’s health.
The legislation was passed 26-14 in the state’s lower house after discussions about more than 100 possible amendments. It has already been approved by the upper house.
The law makes it legal for terminations to be conducted up to 22 weeks into a woman’s pregnancy – or later if two doctors agree.
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