Abortion Laws in Jordan

JORDAN. Penal Code of 10 April 1960.

Article 321. A woman who through any means performs an abortion on herself or consents to another person applying such means shall be punished with six months’ to three years’ imprisonment.

Article 322. (1) Whoever by any means performs an abortion on a woman with her consent shall be punished with one to three years’ imprisonment.

(2) If the abortion or the means employed for it result in the death of the woman, the perpetrator shall be punished with a minimum of five years’ hard labor.

Article 323. (1) Whoever intentionally performs an abortion on a woman without her consent shall be punished with up to ten years’ hard labor.

(2) The punishment shall not be less than ten years if the abortion or the means employed for it result in the death of the woman.

Article 324. A woman who performs an abortion on herself in order to save her honor shall benefit from a mitigation of punishment. Similarly, a person who performs any of the acts described in Articles 322 and 323 in order to preserve the honor of a descendant or a relative to the third degree shall benefit from the same mitigation..

Article 325. If the perpetrator in this section is a physician, surgeon, apothecary, or midwife, the punishment provided for shall be increased by one-third.

Health Law No. 20/1971.

Article 62. (a) A physician may not give a pregnant woman advice with the intention of bringing about an abortion; he may not perform an abortion on a pregnant woman. Nonetheless, an abortion is permissible in a specialized clinic or maternity hospital if it is necessary to avert a danger to the life or health of a pregnant woman, under the following conditions:

1. the written consent for the operation is obtained from the pregnant woman or from her spouse or the person who is responsible for her if she is unable to write or speak;

2. two specialists certify that the operation is permissible to preserve the life or the health of the pregnant woman.

(b) The responsible person for the hospital or the maternity hospital is to enter the name of the pregnant woman and the date and nature of the operation in his register and maintain the written consent and the certification of both physicians for ten years.

(c) The pregnant woman shall receive from the director or person responsible for the clinic or maternity hospital a notarized certificate that contains the information described in preceding paragraph.

Medical Guidelines under Article 16 the Medical Association Law (Law No. 3/1970).

Article 43. An abortion on medical grounds is an abortion that ends a pregnancy because the life of the mother is in danger and there exists no possibility of saving it other than through the operation. In this context, the following are to be observed:

(a) the performance shall take place after the endorsement of two physicians, one of whom performs the operation and prepares a record of it.

(b) if the pregnant woman is a minor, the consent of the spouse or the person responsible for her must be obtained.

(c) if the pregnant woman refuses to undergo the operation even though the physician explains to her the dangerousness of the situation, he must yield to her desire.

(d) if the physician does not wish to perform the operation on the grounds of personal convictions, he must refer the case to a colleague, except in emergency situations that require speedy intervention.