2024-04-01 11:30:21
CONTROVERSY
Abortion in the United States: the Supreme Court repeals Roe vs. Wade and eliminates the constitutional right to terminate pregnancy throughout the country.
The Supreme Court of the United States annulled this Friday the historic ruling known as Roe v. Wade, which since 1973 guaranteed the right to abortion in the country.
With this decision, supported by the majority of conservative judges on the court by 5 votes to 4, the way is opened for abortion to be made illegal in the states that decide to do so. President Joe Biden harshly criticized the ruling, saying it was “a tragic mistake by the Supreme Court.” About half of the states in the country are expected to introduce new restrictions or bans. Thirteen of them have already approved laws in advance that will automatically prohibit abortion after the Supreme Court ruling. Missouri declared itself the first state to ban abortion immediately after the high court’s decision, its attorney general, Eric Schmitt, announced. And others are likely to quickly implement new restrictions. Some 36 million women of reproductive age will be deprived of the right to abortion, according to research by Planned Parenthood, a medical organization that provides pregnancy termination services. Friday’s ruling marks a complete reversal of an earlier decision by the Supreme Court itself, an extremely unusual move, and is likely to lead to intense political battles that divide the nation. In states where opinions on abortion are very divided – such as Pennsylvania, Michigan or Wisconsin – the legality of the procedure could be determined in each legislature according to the government in power (Democrats or Republicans). The ruling could trigger an avalanche of legal battles in several areas, including whether residents of one state can travel to another to obtain an abortion or order abortion medications by mail. The origin of this Friday’s Supreme Court ruling dates back to a specific case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which challenged a Mississippi law that prohibits abortion after 15 weeks, even in rape cases. (EFE)