Judicial Politics of Abortion in Latin America

Latin America has traditionally imposed the strictest limits on legal abortion in the democratic world, but over the last twenty years, constitutional courts across the region have issued important rulings on its regulation. In The Judicial Politics of Abortion in Latin America, Jordi Dez analyzes four landmark cases in Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Mexico. Based on research in all four countries, including interviews with high court justices and law clerks, Dez argues that the decisions' variance is explained by two main factors: justices' and law clerks' ability to assemble legal majorities in favor of reducing abortion restrictions, and each countrys unique political landscape. As debates about a womans right to choose unfold around the world, Dez offers important and timely lessons from Latin America.