Abortion in East Timor is only legal if the abortion will save the woman's life, an exception made by Parliament in 2009.[1] Women's groups and NGOs have been advocating for abortion laws to include instances of rape, incest, and child endangerment.[2]
In East Timor, any abortion approved to preserve the woman's health requires consent from three physicians.[1] All other abortions are criminal offenses, and the person who performs the abortion as well as the pregnant woman face up to three years of imprisonment.[3]
Abortion law in East Timor is based on the abortion law of Indonesia which ruled East Timor between 1976 and 1999 and which has been updated since independence in 2002.