| ADPF 54 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Court | Supreme Federal Court |
| Full case name | Arguição de Descumprimento de Preceito Fundamental 54 (National Confederation of Health Workers (CNTS) v. President of the Republic) |
| Started | 17 June 2004 |
| Decided | 12 April 2012 |
| Citation(s) | Supreme Court of Brazil decriminalized the abortion of anencephalics in the country |
| Court membership | |
| Judge(s) sitting | President
Justices |
| Case opinions | |
| Decision by | Aurélio |
| Concurrence | Britto, Lúcia, Mendes, Barbosa, Mello, Fux and Weber |
| Dissent | Peluzo and Lewandowski |
| Keywords | |
ADPF 54 is a landmark case of the Supreme Court of Brazil. The rapporteur, minister Marco Aurélio Mello, voted in favor of decriminalization of abortions involving anencephalic fetuses.[1] The minister considered it unconstitutional the interpretation that interrupting a pregnancy of anencephalic fetus is a crime according to the Penal Code of Brazil:[1]
Aborto é crime contra a vida. Tutela-se a vida em potencial. No caso do anencéfalo, não existe vida possível. O feto anencéfalo é biologicamente vivo, por ser formado por células vivas, e juridicamente morto, não gozando de proteção estatal. [...] O anencéfalo jamais se tornará uma pessoa. Em síntese, não se cuida de vida em potencial, mas de morte segura. Anencefalia é incompatível com a vida.
Abortion is a crime against life. The potential life is protected. In the case of the anencephalic, there is no possible life. The anencephalic fetus is biologically alive, being composed of living cells, and juridically dead, not warranting state protection. [...] The anencephalic will never become a person. In short, it is not about caring for a potential life, but an assured death. Anencephaly is incompatible with life.
— Excerpt of Minister Marco Aurélio's vote
Minister Dias Toffoli voluntarily abstained from voting due to a self-declared conflict of interest, as he previously presented a favorable opinion towards interrupting the pregnancy in such cases, during his term as Attorney General of Brazil.[1]
High Court decision
| Legal on request: | |
| No gestational limit | |
| Gestational limit after the first 17 weeks | |
| Gestational limit in the first 17 weeks | |
| Unclear gestational limit | |
| Legally restricted to cases of: | |
| Risk to woman's life, to her health*, rape*, fetal impairment*, or socioeconomic factors | |
| Risk to woman's life, to her health*, rape, or fetal impairment | |
| Risk to woman's life, to her health*, or fetal impairment | |
| Risk to woman's life*, to her health*, or rape | |
| Risk to woman's life or to her health | |
| Risk to woman's life | |
| Illegal with no exceptions | |
| No information | |
| * Does not apply to some countries or territories in that category | |
Judiciary representation
| Supreme Court members | Ministers | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ayres Britto | 1 | 1 | |
| Cármen Lúcia | 1 | 1 | |
| Celso de Mello | 1 | 1 | |
| Cezar Peluso | 1 | 1 | |
| Gilmar Mendes | 1 | 1 | |
| Marco Aurélio Mello | 1 | 1 | |
| Rosa Weber | 1 | 1 | |
| Joaquim Barbosa | 1 | 1 | |
| Luiz Fux | 1 | 1 | |
| Ricardo Lewandowski | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 10 | 08 | 02 |
Legislative representation
| Prosecutor General | Prosecutor | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roberto Gurgel | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Executive representation
| Attorney General | Attorney | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luís Inácio Adams | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Amici curiae
| Amici curiae (Support for ADPF 54) (10) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Entity | Translated name | Acronym |
| Católicas pelo Direito de Decidir | Catholics for the Right to Decide | CDD |
| Associação de Desenvolvimento da Família | Association of Family Development | ADEF |
| Federação Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia | Brazilian Federation of Gynecology | FEBRASGO |
| Sociedade Brasileira de Genética Clínica | Brazilian Society of Clinical Genetics | |
| Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Fetal | Brazilian Clinical Society of Fetal Medicine | |
| Conselho Federal de Medicina | Federal Council of Medicine | CFM |
| Rede Feminista de Saúde | Feminist Network of Health | |
| Escola de Gente | School of People | EG |
| Instituto de Bioética, Direitos Humanos e Gênero | Institute of Bioethics, Human Rights and Gender | ANIS |
| Federal Deputy José Aristodemo Pinotti (DEM-SP) | — | — |
| Amici curiae (Against ADPF 54) (3) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Entity | Translated name | Acronym |
| Conferência Nacional dos Bispos do Brasil | National Conference of Brazilian Bishops | CNBB |
| Associação Nacional Pró-vida e Pró-família | National Association Pro-Life and Pro-Family | |
| Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus | Universal Church of the Kingdom of God | IURD |
See also
- ADPF 442 (ongoing case concerning decriminalization of abortions up to 12 weeks of pregnancy)
- Abortion law
- Abortion in Brazil
References
- 1 2 3 "Veja como votaram os ministros do STF sobre aborto de feto sem cérebro" [See how Supreme Court ministers voted on abortion of fetus without a brain]. G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2012-04-11. Retrieved 2023-11-13.