Mexico’s supreme court rules criminal penalties for abortion unconstitutional

Court orders Coahuila to remove sanctions for abortion from criminal code, clearing a path to decriminalisation across Mexico

Mexico's supreme court has struck down a state abortion law, ruling that criminal penalties for terminating pregnancies are unconstitutional, in a decision which advocates say provides a path to decriminalisation across the country.

In a unanimous 10-0 ruling, the top court ordered the northern state of Coahuila to remove sanctions for abortion from its criminal code - with several justices arguing the prohibitions on voluntarily interrupting a pregnancy violated women's rights to control their own bodies.