Abortion in Timor-Leste is only legal if theabortion will save the woman's life, overall health, and if her pregnancy was caused by rape, an exception made byParliament in 2009.[1] Women's groups andNGOs have been advocating for abortion laws to include instances ofincest and child endangerment.[2]
InTimor-Leste, any abortion approved to preserve the woman's health requires consent from three physicians.[1] All other abortions are criminal offenses, and the person who performs the abortion as well as the pregnant woman face up to three years of imprisonment.[3]
Abortion law in Timor-Leste is based on theabortion law of Indonesia which ruledEast Timor between 1976 and 1999 and which has been updated since independence in 2002.
