US Supreme Court Rules Mississippi’s Abortion Law – Could Cut Time Limit

On Wednesday morning, abortion advocates and opponents once again gathered outside the Washington Supreme Court to demonstrate what they describe as the right of choice and the right of the fetus to life.

The Abortion Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade in 1973. The ruling gave women in the United States the right to have an abortion up to the point at which the fetus was considered viable – which today is usually interpreted as around the 24th week of pregnancy .

But the decision was There is no end to the discussion. exactly the contrary. Legislation today varies widely between conservative and liberal states in the United States. In recent years, politicians at the regional level have attempted to introduce various forms of abortion ban – including the so-called Texas Heartbeat Act, which in effect acts as a blanket ban on abortion.

At the same time, the balance in the Supreme Court has changed. After former President Donald Trump’s appointment, there is a clear majority in favor of restricting abortion rights, with six conservative and three liberal justices.

On Wednesday morning, they held a public hearing on a new law from Mississippi, banning abortions after the 15th week of pregnancy. Among other things, a representative of a state clinic was heard.

Chief Justice John Roberts wanted to know why 15 weeks was not enough to have an abortion.

– He claimed that it is not a dramatic shift of feasibility.

His fellow Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh has argued that it is impossible to satisfy the rights of women and the fetus.

– You have to choose. This is the main problem, he said.

The Three Liberal Judges He considers that a re-examination of Roe v. Wade would be seen as politicizing the law and undermining confidence in the work of the Supreme Court.

If people really believe that everything is politics, how will we survive? Judge Sonia Sotomayor asked how the court should have survived.

But only the fact that the Supreme Court has chosen to trial the law in Mississippi is interpreted as an indication that a conservative majority is willing to shake Roe v. Wade.

Usually, the Supreme Court deals only with cases where the lower courts differ, but the lower courts have jointly ruled that the Mississippi law is unconstitutional. Meanwhile, Chief Justice John Roberts is generally cautious about reconsidering previous data from HD.

His comments during the hearing can be interpreted as trying to find a compromise, since the time limit has been reduced to 15 weeks, but some form of the right to an abortion still exists.

“Roberts has indicated he may be open to common ground,” legal expert Lisa Soronen told the Washington Post.

After today’s session The nine judges will review the case jointly. Then the hard work of crafting the judgment itself begins.

The decision is expected to be announced in the summer of 2022, a few months before the important midterm elections for Congress. New restrictions on the right to abortion could affect the electoral debate and mobilize abortion advocates on the left.

Polls show that the majority of Americans are behind the right to an abortion, but that support for late abortion is much lower.

Read more:

These are the women behind Roe v Wade – the case never led to an abortion