Abstract
The article analyses the arguments of the justices and the debates that took place during the plenary session of the Supreme Federal Court (Brazil) in the trial of the Accusation of Non-Compliance with a Fundamental Precept (ADPF 54) that took place on April 11th and 12th 2012. The trial discussed the authorization of abortions in cases of fetal anencephaly, called “therapeutic anticipation of birth”. The trial is an aspect of the controversy surrounding the right to abortion in Brazilian society. An analysis of the proceedings reveals that the different arguments on the issue, whether upholding the fetus’s right to life or tending towards the reproductive autonomy of women, were anchored in an individualistic configuration of values.
Keywords:
abortion; Federal Supreme Court (Brazil); ADPF 54; anencephaly; human rights