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The Observatory on Bioethics and Law proposes changes to the legislation regulating the voluntary termination of pregnancy

By 21 April 2008November 18th, 2020No Comments
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 21.04.2008

The Observatory on Bioethics and Law proposes changes to the legislation regulating the voluntary termination of pregnancy

The Opinion Group of the Observatory on Bioethics and Law (OBD) at the University of Barcelona, housed at the Barcelona Science Park, has published a that proposes changes to the legislation regulating the voluntary termination of pregnancy (VTP). The proposal backs legalisation of the practice so that it be considered and treated as any other health care practice and, therefore, genuinely accepted as a public health care service. More specifically, the document proposes the establishment of conditions in which abortion can freely be carried out in the initial weeks of pregnancy or, if sought later, be authorised according to precise, clearly set indications, as now happens in most other countries in the European Union.


With this proposal, the OBD’s intention is to contribute to social debate on the matter and put an end to the current situation of legal uncertainty brought about by the distorted application of the outdated law in force. According to María Casado, OBD director, “This legal reform aims to bring current legislation into line with reality, making the conditions required for VTP clear and accessible, respecting the autonomy of women and their decision-making capacity in this area, barring discrimination and providing access to the practice to people with fewer resources, while also establishing a system of gradually increasing protection for the foetus based on its viability”.

The coordinators of the document on voluntary termination of pregnancy, in which experts from a wide range of disciplines have taken part, are María Casado, holder of the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics at the University of Barcelona and Director of the OBD; Mirentxu Corcoy, Professor of Criminal Law at the University of Barcelona; Rosa Ros, physician and Director of the Youth Centre for Contraception and Sexuality and President of the Catalan Society for Contraception; and Albert Royes, Secretary of the Bioethics Committee of the University of Barcelona.