The decision by the country's Constitutional Court on Thursday effectively bans terminating pregnancies in cases where birth defects are found and will further limit access to abortions in Poland.

The predominantly Catholic country already has one of the strictest abortion laws in Europe.

The ruling came in response to a motion from MPs who argued that terminating a pregnancy due to foetal defects violated the provision of the Polish Constitution protecting the life of every individual.

The challenged law was introduced in 1993 as a hard-won compromise that also allows abortions when a pregnancy endangers a woman's health or life, or results from rape or other illegal act.

Australian Associated Press