Wavebreak Media/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — BBC News reports Chilean constitutional court have approved a bill that would lessen regulations when it comes to abortions, a ruling that goes against a total ban.

The court ruled that abortion is justified in three cases: if the mother’s life is at risk, if they fetus is not expected to survive pregnancy, if a woman was impregnated after rape.

According to BBC News, Chile had been one of seven Roman Catholic nations that ruled against abortion in any circumstance.

Judges ruled 6-4 in favor of easing on abortion laws, a welcome result for a number of groups in the South American nation.

Chile legalized abortion for medical reasons in 1931, according to BBC News, but banned it completely in 1989 under the country’s then-military government.

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