London, England, Jun 24, 2021 / 19:09 pm
The people of Gibraltar voted in a referendum Thursday to approve a bill legalizing abortion.
The referendum vote took place June 24, after it was postponed from March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The measure was approved by 7,656 votes in favor and 4,520 against.
Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula with a population of around 32,000 people. Its northern border is with Spain, which asserts a claim to the territory.
More than 23,000 Gibraltarians were registered to vote, with postal and proxy votes permitted, as well as votes at the ballot box.
Abortion has been illegal and punishable by up to life imprisonment in Gibraltar, except where the mother’s life is at risk.
In 2019, the Gibraltar Parliament passed the Crimes (Amendment) Act 2019 with the intention of legalizing abortion up to 12 weeks if the woman’s mental or physical health is considered at risk or if she would face grave injury.
Abortion would also be permitted at any time if the child has a fatal fetal abnormality.
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