Poland’s top court has enforced a controversial near-total ban on abortion in country which takes effect today.

Thousands of people gathered outside the constitutional court building in the capital Warsaw, defying lockdown restrictions, to protest against the decision.

Protesters marched through the city centre to the ruling party’s headquarters with signs of the leading “Women’s Strike” group and pro-LGBT rights rainbow flags.

The constitutional court issued a justification on Wednesday of a ruling in October that said aborting foetuses with congenital defects violated the constitution - only permitting terminations in cases where there is a risk to the woman"s life or in instances where a crime has taken place, such as rape or incest.

But in 2019, 98% of abortions carried out in Poland were due to congenital defects.

After the court published its explanation, the country’s right-wing nationalist government published it in a government journal, meaning a near total ban has taken legal effect.