Abortion in Portugal

"Portugese Abortion Vote Denied," reports the BBC:

Portugal's constitutional court has thwarted the government's plan to hold a referendum next month on relaxing the country's strict abortion laws.

Judges said the vote could not be held before September 2006 because the same referendum had been rejected by the president in the current legislature.

The government wants voters to decide whether abortions in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy should become legal.

Abortions are currently only legal in certain situations such as rape.

"We want a law which is more modern and more European," said Prime Minister Jose Socrates, announcing that his government would propose a referendum for next September.

"More modern and more European" -- sigh.