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Leaked draft reveals US court set to strike down abortion rights: Report

Reproductive rights in the United States have come under attack in recent months as states tightened regulations, with some attempting to ban all abortions beyond six weeks, when many women are not even aware they are pregnant.

Leaked draft reveals US court set to strike down abortion rights Report gcw
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Washington D.C., First Published May 3, 2022, 9:45 AM IST

According to a leaked version of a majority ruling that would sever over 50 years of constitutional safeguards, the Supreme Court is ready to strike down the right to abortion in the United States. The document, obtained by Politico, was authored by Justice Samuel Alito and shared throughout the conservative-dominated court, according to the news source.

The 98-page proposal majority opinion calls the landmark Roe v Wade decision, which established the right to abortion in 1973, "egregiously wrong from the start."

"We hold that Roe and Casey must be overturned," Alito said in the paper, which is titled "Opinion of the Court" and is available on Politico's website. "It is past time to follow the Constitution and restore the abortion debate to the people's elected representatives."

The Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that access to abortion is a woman's constitutional right. In Planned Parenthood v. Casey, a 1992 case, the Supreme Court protected a woman's right to an abortion until the embryo is viable outside the womb, which is usually approximately 22 to 24 weeks of gestation.

"The unavoidable conclusion is that the right to abortion is not firmly founded in the Nation's history and customs," Alito said.

Also Read | E-commerce firm booked in Mumbai for selling abortion kit illegally

Reproductive rights in the United States have come under attack in recent months as states tightened regulations, with some attempting to ban all abortions beyond six weeks, when many women are not even aware they are pregnant.

Right-wing lawmakers have begun an assault on abortion, while Democrats, headed by President Joe Biden, have fought back to defend abortion access.

Hearing oral arguments in December regarding a Mississippi law that would prohibit most abortions after 15 weeks, the Supreme Court's conservative majority looked likely not only to uphold the statute but also to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Also Read | Viral video: White House press secretary gives befitting reply to male reporter's question on abortion rights

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