A new law in Arkansas allows a woman's husband to sue a doctor for civil damages in the event of his wife's abortion, which would block the woman from having the procedure.

The law also bans the majority of second trimester abortions, reported the Huffington Post.

The 'Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Abortion Act' was signed into law last week by Governor Asa Hutchinson.

It includes a clause that says if the husband is the baby's father, he can file a civil lawsuit against the physician for monetary damages or injunctive relief.

Stock image of an Arkansas courthouse - A new law in Arkansas allows a woman's husband to sue a doctor for civil damages in the event of his wife's abortion, which would block the woman from having the procedure

The 'Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Abortion Act' was signed into law last week by Governor Asa Hutchinson, pictured at the Republican National Convention in 2016. It includes a clause that says if the husband is the baby's father, he can file a civil lawsuit against the physician for monetary damages or injunctive relief

If he filed for relief, it would prevent the procedure from taking place.

The clause also gives power to the woman's parents or legal guardians, who can sue for the same damages if she is a minor.

In the cases of 'criminal conduct' - such as spousal rape or incest- the husband cannot sue the doctor for monetary damages, but can still halt the procedure.

The legislation bans dilation and evacuation procedures, in which the physician removes the fetus from the womb with surgical tools.

These are the safest and most common way that women end pregnancies after 14 weeks, accounting for 95 per cent of all second-trimester abortions, according to the American Medical Association.

Republican State Representative Andy Mayberry (pictured) co-sponsored the bill, which could go into effect as early as the spring, and told the Daily Beast 'We've tried to account for all the worst case scenarios'

The procedure is also common after miscarriages, when fetal tissue has to be removed from the womb to prevent infection, and during medical testing. The law would make it a felony only if used during abortion, reported the Daily Beast.

Republican State Representative Andy Mayberry co-sponsored the bill, which could go into effect as early as the spring, and told the Daily Beast 'We've tried to account for all the worst case scenarios'.

He also called it a 'gruesome, barbaric procedure' in the introduction of the bill, according to the Daily Beast.

Another co-sponsor, Senator David Sanders, described watching the procedure, saying: 'You see a baby, an unborn life, a fetus, engaging in a fight or flight reaction to the forceps going into the womb, trying to remove an arm, remove a leg.'

Another co-sponsor, Senator David Sanders, described watching the procedure, saying: 'You see a baby, an unborn life, a fetus, engaging in a fight or flight reaction to the forceps going into the womb, trying to remove an arm, remove a leg'

The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas (ACLU) plans to challenge the abortion law in court before it takes effect this summer.

Holly Dickinson, legal director for the ACLU, told Daily Beast, 'They created a whole new right - the right of a husband or family member to sue a doctor on behalf of an adult patient.

'I cannot begin to tell you what the intent was, but we have raised concerns about that provision and the entire rest of the bill, which is unconstitutional'.

In four other where laws like this one were challenged, it was struck down by the courts, citing the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe V Wade, reported the Huffington Post.