When you read the word “abortion”, what comes to mind? Illegal, immoral or something else? Depending on where you live and your personal views, the answer to these questions may vary. We all know that abortion is a sensitive topic in any society – and one that continues to spark debates. In this article we explore the US Supreme Court ruling on abortion, what it means for the world and why it’s so contentious. Read on to find out more about this important topic that continues to have a ripple effect around the globe.
The history of Roe v. Wade and its implications
Roe v. Wade is a landmark Supreme Court ruling that effectively legalised abortion in America.
In Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court made two important decisions:
- The United States Constitution provides a fundamental “right to privacy” that protects a person’s right to choose whether to have an abortion.
- But the abortion right is not absolute. It must be balanced against the government’s interests in protecting health and prenatal life
“Roe v. Wade Case Summary: What You Need to Know – FindLaw“
The ruling came into effect in 1973, which means that it’s been around for over 50 years. Over the course of these five decades, many people have had strong reactions to this ruling.
Many think of Roe v. Wade as the case that “legalized abortion.” However, that isn’t exactly true. What it did was change the way states can regulate abortion, and characterized abortion as something that was covered under constitutional rights of privacy.
The pro-choice camp has celebrated the ruling, particularly in the last couple of decades when anti-abortion sentiment in America has grown.
On the flip side, the anti-abortion camp has been fighting to overturn Roe v. Wade since its inception.
Many in this camp view abortion as immoral, and believe that it should be outlawed in America.
With a conservative majority on the Supreme Court since the appointment of Judge Brett Kavanaugh, many anti-abortion activists have been hopeful that the ruling will be overturned.
What does the US Supreme Court Overturn on abortion mean?
On Friday 24th June 2022,the US supreme court decided in their ruling Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization with 6 judges against 3 , that there is no constitutional rights to abortion.
This controversial decision overturns the landmark ruling in Roe v. Wade 1973. which means that women right to choose to have an abortion is no longer constitutionally protected.
Does that mean abortion is now banned in the US ?
In theory this means that the abortion legislation has just be returned to individual states to decide their own legislation.
Individual states are therefore able to introduce laws to ban the procedure again.
Depending on the predominance of the state conservative or liberal, pro-abortion or anti abortion.
Where is the world currently at regarding abortion rights?
The world is a varied place, and so it’s impossible to provide a general overview of the state of abortion rights across the globe.
That being said, we can see that there are some countries that have vastly different laws and policies regarding abortion than the US. As we mentioned earlier, in some countries abortion is completely illegal. In others, it’s fully legal and accessible.
There are even some countries that have partial restrictions on abortion – such as a certain time period after which abortions are allowed. We can’t speak for every country in the world, but we can give you some examples of where abortion rights are at in some of the most important countries in the world.
In China, there are no legal restrictions on abortion – meaning that it’s effectively legal to terminate a pregnancy at any point.
In India, abortion is also completely legal. However, there are certain restrictions based on the age of the fetus.
In Brazil, women have a constitutional right to an abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. However, after this point, abortions are only legal in cases of rape, risk to the mother’s health or severe fetal abnormalities.
In contrast, in Ireland abortion is completely illegal, with the only exceptions being when the mother’s life is in danger, when the fetus has a fatal genetic condition, or when the pregnancy is a result of sexual assault.
