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.
I.Roleandlegalstatusofwomen
law,includingtheprenatalphasewithinthelimitsdeterminedintheLaw,mainly
itsArticle4a,whichwasaddedin199713.Originally,itstextwasmorecomplex.
Backthen,Article4aclause1oftheLawonplanningfamilydeterminedfour
conditionsunderwhichpregnancycouldhavebeenterminated,withtheemphasis
thatexclusivelybythedoctor.Theycomprisedtwomedicalcircumstances,one
criminalandethical,andamaterialonerelatingtotheso-calledsocialandpersonal
reasonsregardingthelifeofapregnantwoman.Firstofall,pregnancycould
havebeenterminatedifitconstitutedthreattolifeorhealthofapregnantwoman
(point1);secondlyprenatalexaminationorothermedicalrationaleindicatedhigh
probabilityofsevereandirreversibleimpairmentofthefoetusorincurabledisease
threateningitslife(point2)-theso-calledeugenic(embryopathological)reasons;
thirdly,incaseofthejustifiedsuspicionthatpregnancydevelopedasaresultof
aprohibited(criminal)act(point3);andfinally,ifawomanfoundherselfinhard
lifeconditionsordifficultpersonalsituation(point4).
However,shortlyafterArticle4aclause1cameintoforce,itwasamended
significantly,asfollowingtherulingoftheConstitutionalTribunaloftheRepublic
ofPolandof28thMay1997,casefileno.K26/9614,point4providingforthe
possibilityofterminatingpregnancyincaseofhardlifeconditionsordifficult
personalsituationofapregnantwomanwasrepealed.Theamendmentcameinto
forceon23rdDecember1997,leavingtheremainingthreeconditionsallowingfor
theterminationofpregnancy.Itconsitutedaso-calledabortioncompromiseand
seemedtobetheunquestionablepartofthePolishlegalorderforalongtime.The
judgementwasadoptedbytwelvejudges,followedbythreedissentingopinionsof
judges:ZdzisławCzeszejko-Sochacki,LechGarlickiandWojciechSokolewicz.
TheproceedingswereinstigatedupontheapplicationofagroupofSenatorsof
theRepublicofPolandwhoclaimedthatthelegislatorhasgivenprioritytothe
mother’sinterestsrelatingtothelivingconditionsandpersonalsituationoverthe
child’srighttolife,violatingtheprinciplesofjusticebecause-asitwasraised-
suchachoiceconstitutesadecisionsafeguardingtheneedsofagoodofalesser
valueattheexpenseofagoodofamuchgreatervalue.Intheapplicant’sview
thelegislatorhastreatedtherightsofthesubjects4diametricallydifferently’,
dependingonthephaseoftheirlife.TheConstitutionalTribunalruledthatthe
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Article4awasaddedbyArticle1point5oftheLawof30thAugust1996ontheamendmentto
theLawonplanningfamily,protectionofhumanfoetusandconditionsofadmissibilityofpreg-
nancytermination(JournalofLawsof4thDecember1996,No.139,item646withamendments).
Itcameintoforceon4thJanuary1997.
14
JudgementoftheConstitutionalTribunaloftheRepublicofPolandof28thMay1997,casefile
no.K26/96,OTK1997/2/19,Lexno.29143.
