Groundbreaking European Court of Human Rights judgment on access to prenatal testing and abortion

In a 2011 groundbreaking judgment, R.R. v. Poland, the European Court held that Poland’s failure to provide a woman timely access to prenatal genetic testing and information allowing her to make an informed decision about her pregnancy amounted to inhuman and degrading treatment. The Court also found that Poland’s failure to establish effective procedures enabling access to legal abortion services violated the right to respect for private life. In this factsheet we highlight the key aspects of this groundbreaking decision.