Mexico City - Mexico's Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a law allowing abortion in the nation's capital, in a victory for leftist city lawmakers over conservative President Felipe Calderon's government and the Catholic Church.

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©REUTERS/Daniel Aguilar
A pro-choice protester argues with an anti-abortion preacher during demonstrations near Mexico City's local legislature during the debate to decriminalize abortion up to 12 weeks of gestation, April 24, 2007.

In an 8-3 vote, judges said there were no grounds to overturn a law approved in 2007 by the Mexico City assembly that legalized abortions on demand during the first trimester and established free public clinics.

The landmark decision could open the door for other states in Mexico, the world's second most populous Catholic country, to follow the capital's lead in relaxing laws that criminalize abortion, legal experts said.

The judges found that Mexico's constitution did not explicitly guarantee the right to life of the fetus, and that the interests of the unborn had to be balanced with those of women seeking an abortion.

While Calderon stayed largely on the sidelines of the battle, his attorney-general's office and the National Human Rights Commission sought to reintroduce a ban on abortion.