The U.S. Supreme Court made a dramatic decision on Friday that overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling.
The ruling recognizes women's constitutional right to abortion. But it's now overturned!
The Supreme Court, by a vote of 6 in favor and 3 against, upheld a Republican-backed law in Mississippi banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
The vote was 5-4, overturning Roe's case.
In their ruling, written by conservative Judge Samuel Alito, the judges argued that the Roe case's ruling allowing the fetus to perform an abortion before it survived outside the womb (24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy) was a wrong decision because the U.S. Constitution does not specifically mention abortion powers.
The ruling fundamentally changed the question of reproductive rights in the United States.
U.S. President Joe Biden denounced the ruling, arguing it had taken an "extreme and dangerous path."
Speaking at the White House, Biden said: "This is a sad day for both the court and the country. The Supreme Court did what it had never done before: explicitly deprived of a constitutional right that is fundamental to many Americans. ”
Obama added, "Authorizing states to ban abortion makes the United States an outlier among developed countries in protecting reproductive rights." ”
Biden said the administration will protect women's access to FDA-approved drugs, including birth control pills and drug abortion pills, while also opposing restrictions on women traveling to other states for abortions.
In May of this year, a draft version of Alito's ruling was leaked, which indicated the court was prepared to overturn the verdict in Roe's case, sparking a political storm.
Alito wrote in his ruling: "The Constitution does not mention abortion, and no constitutional provision protects this right."
Roe v. The Wade case recognized that the constitutional right to personal privacy protects a woman's ability to terminate a pregnancy. In 1992, the Supreme Court held a law called "Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey's ruling reaffirmed the right to abortion. Friday's ruling also overturned the Casey decision.
"Roe was dead wrong from the start, and this decision had devastating consequences. Instead of bringing a solution to the abortion problem, Roe and Cathy sparked debate and deepened their differences. ”
Polls show that a majority of Americans support abortion rights. The ruling reflects a serious polarization in the United States on a range of issues, including guns, race, COVID-19-related policies and voting rights.
A joint objection was raised: "Whatever the specific scope of the future law, one outcome of today's decision is positive: the erosion of women's rights, and the weakening of their status as free and equal citizens." ”
The judge added: "From the moment of conception, women have no say. Even at the greatest cost to individuals and families, they have no say. ”
Crowds gathered outside the courthouse, surrounded by a high security fence. The ruling was followed by cheers from anti-abortion activists and tears from some abortion rights supporters.
"I'm ecstatic," said Emma Craig, a 36-year-old member of the San Francisco Anti-Abortion Group, "and abortion is the greatest tragedy of our generation, and 50 years later, we'll look back on those 50 years with shame." ”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, condemned the decision, saying the "Republican-controlled Supreme Court" achieved the Dark and extreme goal of the Republican Party to "deprive women of their right to decide on their own reproductive health."
Judge Brett Kavanaugh agreed, rejecting ideas advocated by some anti-abortion advocates. "The Constitution neither outlaws nor legalizes abortion," he wrote.
Kavanaugh said the ruling does not allow residents of each state to travel to another state for an abortion, nor does it allow retroactive punishment for people who previously had abortions.
The Mississippi law was dismissed by lower courts because it violated Supreme Court precedents on abortion rights. Abortion may still be legal in free states.
However, before the Roe case was decided, many states banned abortion. In much of the United States, women with unwanted pregnancies may face a choice: travel to another state where abortion procedures are still legal and viable, buy abortion pills online, or perform potentially dangerous illegal abortions.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the U.S. Supreme Court toppled Roe V. The decision in the Wade case is very disturbing!
After the Roe v Wade decision, which protected abortion rights 50 years ago, was overturned, millions of American women lost their constitutional right to abortion.
Ardern said in a statement today that the decision is a loss for all women. "It is very disturbing to see women deprived of their basic right to make decisions about their bodies."
"In New Zealand, we legislate to legalise abortion and treat it as a health issue rather than a crime."
"This change is based on a fundamental belief that choice is a woman's right. Seeing that right now disappear in the United States feels like a loss for all American women. ”
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said on Twitter that this does not support women's right to choose.
Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick also slammed the decision.
Green MP Jan Logie does not expect the decision to encourage people to push for abortion law reform in New Zealand.
Logie says she's grateful to New Zealand for legalising abortion in 2020.
The Leader of the National Party, while not making any statement, has previously said he is personally opposed to abortion.
So don't worry about New Zealand's decision to legalise abortion for the time being!