A law in Poland which tightens what was already one of the European Union's toughest laws on abortion is set to come into force, the government said.

"The ruling will be published today in the Journal of Laws," the government information centre said on Twitter.

In October, the Constitutional Court announced abortions due to foetal defects were unconstitutional, ending the most common of the few legal grounds for abortion, and setting Poland further apart from the European mainstream.

Only abortions allowed under law in Poland would be in cases of risk to the woman's life, or crime – meaning rape or incest.

The announcement was made even as the court published a written justification of its ruling last year.

In clarifying its ruling, the court said abortion is admissible if there is a high possibility of irreversible or lethal damage to the foetus along with danger to the health or life of the mother, local media outlet, Interia.pl news website reported.

The reaction to the publication was immediate with some groups pledging to take to the streets to protest the decision rekindling memories of the huge anti-government demonstrations witnessed late last year.

In November, the Polish government postponed the publication and implementation of the ruling in the face of the rallies which were staged despite coronavirus restrictions.

(With input from agencies)