Court Blocks Abortion Law in the Dominican Republic

New York Times (Dec. 4, 2015): Dominican Republic: Court Blocks on Abortion Law:

A Dominican court has blocked a new law that would have decriminalized abortions for the first time if a pregnant woman’s life was at risk, backing a complaint filed by several religious groups. The ruling issued late Wednesday by the Constitutional Tribunal cannot be appealed and upholds a law from 1884. Critics of the ruling said it would put the health of women at risk. Human rights groups estimate that nearly 85,000 clandestine abortions are performed every year in the Dominican Republic, with about 15,000 women being hospitalized in serious condition as a result. Happy Marriage, one of the groups that filed the complaint, said the law violated the Constitution, which states that the right to life begins when a couple conceive.