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Dominican Republic Parliament rejects amendment to abortion law
The Parliament of the Dominican Republic has rejected an amendment to the Penal Code, which sought to criminalise all abortions under any circumstances, except to save the life of the pregnant woman after all efforts to save both her and the foetus have failed. The President had earlier vetoed this amendment on the ground that any amendment to the abortion law must provider wider grounds for abortion. While the amendment was approved by a majority of the legislators, it failed to meet the special majority standard required to pass a law that had already been vetoed by the President. Although the vote is said to be a victory for women’s right to bodily autonomy in the Dominican Republic, the current law continues to be severely prohibitive in nature, as it prohibits termination of pregnancy in all circumstances.