France, Dec. 18 -- The vote, held on Thursday inthe National Assembly, the lower house of the French parliament, finalised the adoption of the bill after it was backed by the Senate in March and supported by the government.

The rare unanimous result underlined the political consensus around the issue.

The text states that the enforcement of France's former abortion laws "criminalising the use of, practice of, access to, and information about abortion" amounted to an infringement on women's health, sexual and reproductive autonomy and fundamental rights.

Before abortion was decriminalised, the bill notes, restrictions led to "numerous deaths" and caused widespread physical and moral suffering among women forced to seek dangerous, clande...