Abortion laws are different in all countries, from highly restricted to highly selective.
According to the UAE law, it is a crime to abort a pregnancy unless,
- it endangers the woman’s life or
- there is evidence that the baby will be born with fatal deformities and will not survive.
In the latter case, the foetus must be aborted before it is 120 days old. Which is during the 17th week of the pregnancy and one week into the second trimester. Also, the abortion must be approved by an authorized medical board. Abortion of foetus after 120 days of pregnancy is not permitted.
Article 340 Federal Law No. 3, As amended by Federal Law no. 34 dated 24/12/2005
The framework embedded in the law enables a permissible abortion in certain medical situations. And allows physicians to take appropriate medical-legal decisions.
For instance, Permissible abortions for maternal reasons are mainly severe infections such chorioamnionitis, and other life-threatening disorders.
Penalties
- The penalty for illegal abortion in UAE is a jail sentence for a term not exceeding one year and / or to a fine not more than 10,000 Dirhams, any pregnant woman who deliberately aborted herself by any means whatsoever.
- The penalty shall be a jail sentence for a minimum term of two years or to a minimum fine of ten thousand Dirhams the person who deliberately aborted her, by any means, with her consent.
- Furthermore, Should the person causing abortion be a physician, surgeon, pharmacist, midwife or a technician, the penalty shall be imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years without prejudice to a more severe penalty provided for in any other law.
- Moreover, Shall be sanctioned to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years, whoever willfully aborted a pregnant woman without her consent.
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