Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation decriminalizes abortion in Chihuahua, Mexico

The Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN), the highest body of the Mexican Judiciary with the Faculties of Constitutional Court, declared this January 30 the articles that typified voluntary abortion as a crime in the state of Chihuahua, a decision that was criticized By Mons. José Guadalupe Torres Campos, Bishop of Ciudad Juárez, north of the State.

OK to the SCJN statementin October 2023 the first court of the Court, in resolving an amparo on the subject, determined that the articles of the Criminal Code of the State forced women “to be mothers, which is contrary to their life project, direct attentive and frontally with their right to enjoy the highest possible level of physical, mental and social well -being, according to which they are recognized by the control of their health and body, including their sexual freedom. ”

Therefore, at that time, the Court granted a period of 90 days to the Congress of Chihuahua to legislate in this regard. However, not fulfilling this requirement in the stipulated time, this January 30 the Plenary of the SCJN decided to intervene and “determined that the precepts should be invalidated with general effects.”

Now, the State Congress is obliged to modify its Criminal Code to align it with the decision of the SCJN and establish the limits.

In Chihuahua “we are in favor of respect for life”

Mons. José Guadalupe Torres Campos, bishop of Ciudad Juárez – the most populous city of the State – expressed its surprise to the resolution, which, according to him, “is strange for the feeling of most of the Chihuahuans who are in favor of respect for respect of life from his conception to his natural death. ”

In a statementthe prelate called on legislators, reminding them that the function of the law “is to protect and promote everything that is universal value, and, therefore, a right.” In particular, he stressed that “the right to life, which is the origin and foundation of any other. The nature of the law is not to define, but to recognize and guard everything that is valuable and good ”.

Likewise, Mons. Torres Campos urged the Catholics of the State to redouble efforts with creativity so that “each parochial community, ecclesial institution and family, is first of all, a space where we all learn to assess the gift of life and at the same time Let’s accompany who in their status as a mother could be feeling alone. ”

The bishop concluded by raising his prayers to God and Santa María de Guadalupe, hoping that “finding paths of true humanism that allow us to build a society in which every law recognizes, custodie and promotes the dignity of human life” is achieved ” .

Provida leader criticizes the “injustice” of the SCJN

For his part, Rodrigo Iván Cortés, leader of the National Front for the Family, described the decision as an “injustice by imposing the legalization of the crime of abortion” to the inhabitants of Chihuahua.

Through a Published video In his social networks, he said that the SCJN “has violated the sovereignty of the State, has passed over the local Congress, which in a very valuable way decided to protect the life of its population of the Chihuahuans since the beginning of life in conception” .