French Parliament Unanimously Passes Historic Law Rehabilitating Women Convicted for Abortion Pre-1975

On December 18, 2025, the French Parliament unanimously adopted a landmark law to rehabilitate women who were convicted for undergoing abortions before the legalization of the procedure by the Veil Law in 1975. This historic legislation acknowledges that the previous application of laws penalizing abortion constituted a violation of women's health, sexual and reproductive autonomy, and fundamental rights.

The bill had earlier been adopted unanimously by the Senate and had returned to the National Assembly for a second reading, which was considered a formality. This new law formally recognizes the unjust treatment of women convicted under former abortion penalties more than 50 years ago. Feminist associations widely hailed the legislation for its symbolic and rights-based significance.

The context of this legal development traces back to April 21, 1974, when over 3,000 people protested in Paris demanding sexual freedom and the right to abortion, organized by the Movement for the Liberation of Abortion and Contraception (MLAC). The 1975 Veil Law subsequently legalized abortion in France, but women convicted before this law faced lasting stigma and lack of official rehabilitation.

This recent Parliamentary vote thus marks a major step in acknowledging the harm caused by previous laws criminalizing abortion. The legislation explicitly states that enforcing abortion penalties violated women's health and autonomy, signaling a formal state apology and a restoration of dignity to those women.

The unanimous parliamentary adoption underscores broad political consensus on the issue, highlighting France’s ongoing commitment to women's rights and health. The law is expected to have profound symbolic importance, representing recognition and reparation for decades of discrimination and legal injustice against women who sought abortions prior to 1975.