Abortion clinics close after landmark US ruling
Abortion clinics in some US states began closing yesterday after the Supreme Court on Friday struck down Roe vs Wade, the legal decision that has enshrined the constitutional right to an abortion in America for nearly 50 years.
As the Financial Times described it, the ‘dramatic ruling by the court’s conservative majority … will shake up American society, politics and jurisprudence for years to come’. The court’s three liberal justices dissented, the FT said.
The BBC reports that about half of states are expected to introduce new restrictions or bans following the decision. Thirteen states have so-called trigger laws in place that will see abortion banned within 30 days.
President Joe Biden described the ruling as ‘a tragic error’, a view shared by the so-called pro-choice segment of opinion. But those opposed to abortion were jubilant.
The BBC reports that while abortion is considered an issue that divides Americans, a recent Pew survey found that 61% of adults say abortion should be legal all or most of the time, while 37% say it should be illegal all or most of the time.
Overall, the Supreme Court ruling is expected to mean that about 36 million women of reproductive age will lose access to abortion in their states, according to research from Planned Parenthood, a healthcare organisation that provides abortions.
[Image: https://pixabay.com/photos/us-supreme-court-building-2225766/]
