Mexico's Supreme Court decriminalizes abortion

A woman holds a banner which reads "Free abort" during a protest to celebrate the decision of the Supreme Court (Reuters/Daniel Becerril)

Mexico’s Supreme Court unanimously ruled on Tuesday that penalising abortion is unconstitutional, a major victory for advocates of women’s health and human rights, just as parts of the United States enact tougher laws against the practice.

The decision in the world’s second-biggest Roman Catholic country means that courts can no longer prosecute abortion cases, and follows the historic legalisation of the right in Argentina, which took effect earlier this year.