US Supreme Court Case Roe v Wade | 29 Jan 2024
- On 22nd January 1973, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in Roe v. Wade that the right to an abortion is a fundamental right.
- The court ruled that the constitutional right to privacy includes a woman's right to choose whether to have an abortion or not. The court applied the constitutional principles of privacy and liberty to a woman's ability to terminate a pregnancy.
- However, the government can still regulate or restrict abortion access depending on the stage of pregnancy.
- The ruling also stated that a person can choose to have an abortion until a fetus becomes viable, which is usually between 24 and 28 weeks after conception.
- Prior to Roe v. Wade, abortion had been illegal throughout much of the country. Since the 1973 ruling, many states have imposed restrictions on abortion rights.
- The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, in 2022, ruling that there was no longer a federal constitutional right to an abortion. Court upheld a Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
- The decision overturned 50 years of legal protection and paved the way for individual states to curtail or ban abortion rights.
Read more: US’ Roe v. Wade Case 1973