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PHOENIX, August 15, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Arizona Court of Appeals ruled on August 11th that the state’s recently passed regulations on abortion are legal and do not impose an “undue burden” on a woman’s constitutional “right to choose.”

Judge Peter Swann wrote in the court’s unanimous decision that state lawmakers have authority to impose restrictions on abortion and legislate who can perform the procedure.

The court ruled that a new law prohibiting anyone but a licensed physician from performing an abortion does not violate constitutional rights.

The new regulations cover chemical abortions, such as the abortion regimen RU-486. They also require any woman seeking an abortion to meet face-to-face with the licensed physician performing the abortion at least 24 hours prior to the abortion.

Additionally, the law requires that parental consent forms allowing a minor to get an abortion must be notarized.

The judges also upheld the right of health care providers, including doctors, nurses and pharmacists, to refuse to participate in abortions, provide contraceptives, or give out the so-called “morning after pill” if they have moral or religious objections.

Mathew Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family, praised the Arizona Court of Appeals ruling.

“Arizona is one of many states in recent months to pass common sense regulations on abortion. This history of abortion on demand will one day be remembered as the worst chapter in American history. The Supreme Court’s abortion decision in 1973 betrayed the Constitution by distorting it into something unrecognizable,” Staver said in a press release.