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# Sentencia C-055 de 2022: abortion up to week 24

- Court ruling

Since 2022, abortion in Colombia is a crime only after week 24, and the three 2006 grounds still apply at any time.

Updated Nov 5, 2026

## Key points

- Date: 21 February 2022. Reporting justices: Antonio José Lizarazo Ocampo and Alberto Rojas Ríos.
- Art. 122 of the Penal Code: abortion is punishable only after week 24 of pregnancy.
- The three C-355 of 2006 grounds apply with no week limit.
- Resolution 051 of 2023: care is immediate; only exceptionally and with justification, a maximum of five calendar days.
- Conscientious objection: only the professional performing the procedure, in writing and with referral; never the institution.

## What it is

In Ruling C-055 of 2022, the Constitutional Court decided that abortion is punishable only when performed after week 24 of pregnancy. Before that limit, the decision of the woman or pregnant person is enough. After week 24, termination remains legal on the three grounds of Ruling C-355 of 2006. The Court urged Congress and the Government to draw up a comprehensive public policy. The Ministry of Health regulated care with Resolution 051 of 2023.

## What the Court decided

- First: it upheld art. 122 of Law 599 of 2000 on the understanding that abortion will be punishable only when performed after week 24 of pregnancy.
- That limit does not apply to the three grounds of Ruling C-355 of 2006 (risk to life or health, severe anomaly incompatible with life, sexual violence, non-consensual insemination or transfer, or incest).
- Second: it urged Congress and the Government to draw up a comprehensive public policy including at least: clear information on the options, removal of obstacles, pregnancy prevention and family planning, sexual and reproductive education, support for pregnant women (including adoption) and protection of the rights of those born.

## Background

- Ruling C-355 of 2006 had decriminalised abortion only on three grounds.
- The challenge argued that criminalisation still caused barriers and unsafe abortions; the Court found that criminal punishment was the State's first and almost only response.

## In clinical practice

- Up to week 24, the woman's request is enough: no ground, medical board or third-party authorisation is required.
- After week 24, the professional identifies the ground; if there was sexual violence with no report, they notify the authorities without making care conditional on it (Resolution 051 of 2023, art. 7).
- IVE is exempt from co-payments and user fees (Resolution 051 of 2023, art. 11).
- Information must be clear, objective and free of dissuasive messages; the medical record is confidential.

## Status and official text

- Official text checked on 2026-11-05 at corteconstitucional.gov.co (relatoría) and in the official legal compilation of the Superintendencia Nacional de Salud (Resolution 051 of 2023).
- Resolution 051 of 12 January 2023 (Diario Oficial 52,276): adopts the single regulation of IVE care; art. 6 (access from the expression of will), art. 9 (deadline), art. 16 (conscientious objection); it amends item 4.2 of Resolution 3280 of 2018.
- Under Resolution 051, the health-ground certificate may be issued by a doctor or a psychologist (art. 7).
- No later amendment of Resolution 051 of 2023 could be verified on an official site.

## Test yourself

Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.

## From which week is abortion punishable in Colombia under C-055 of 2022?

Only after week 24 of pregnancy, unless one of the three grounds of C-355 of 2006 applies.

## Do the C-355 of 2006 grounds apply after week 24?

Yes. C-055 of 2022 made clear that the week-24 limit does not apply to those three grounds.

## What maximum deadline does Resolution 051 of 2023 allow for IVE care?

Care is immediate; only in exceptional, justified cases is a maximum of five calendar days allowed, recorded in the medical record.

## Whom did the Court urge to act in C-055 of 2022?

Congress and the national Government, to draw up and implement a comprehensive public policy on the issue.

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## Connections

## Related 4

- [Sentencia C-355 de 2006: the three grounds for abortion](https://durgical.com/en/medical-ethics/sentencia-c-355-de-2006-the-three-grounds-for-abortion/)
- [Conscientious objection in health care](https://durgical.com/en/medical-ethics/conscientious-objection-in-health-care/)
- [Consent in minors: progressive autonomy in Colombian law](https://durgical.com/en/medical-ethics/consent-in-minors-progressive-autonomy-in-colombian-law/)
- [Professional secrecy and confidentiality](https://durgical.com/en/medical-ethics/professional-secrecy-and-confidentiality/)

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Educational content on ethics and health law; not legal advice. Laws and case law change: each page links the official text and says when it was last checked. For a real case, read the text in force and ask a lawyer or the medical ethics tribunal.

Sources: [Sentencia C-055 de 2022](https://www.corteconstitucional.gov.co/relatoria/2022/C-055-22.htm) (Corte Constitucional de Colombia, 2022); [Resolución 051 de 2023, regulación única para la atención integral en salud frente a la interrupción voluntaria del embarazo](https://www.minsalud.gov.co/sites/rid/Lists/BibliotecaDigital/RIDE/DE/DIJ/resolucion-051-de-2023.pdf) (Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social, 2023).

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License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/medical-ethics/sentencia-c-055-de-2022-abortion-up-to-week-24/