PanamaTimes

Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

Abortion ruling: US Supreme Court says leak is real as investigation launched

Abortion ruling: US Supreme Court says leak is real as investigation launched

A leaked document suggesting millions of US women could lose the legal right to abortion is genuine, the Supreme Court's chief justice has confirmed.

But it does not represent the court's final decision, said John Roberts.

The leak has stirred expectations that the 1973 decision which legalised abortion in the US could be overturned, allowing individual states to ban it.

President Joe Biden has argued that the decision - if it goes ahead - could call other freedoms into question.

The leaked document - labelled "1st Draft" - appears to reflect the majority opinion of the court.

Written by Justice Samuel Alito, it calls the 1973 Roe v Wade ruling - which legalised abortion across the US - "egregiously wrong from the start".

The draft is not a final ruling, and opinions could change. But if Roe v Wade is overturned, around half of US states could ban abortion.

In a statement, Chief Justice Roberts described the leak of the draft - first published by US website Politico - as "a singular and egregious breach" and asked the Marshal of the Supreme Court to launch an investigation.

The work of the court would "not be affected in any way", he added.

The draft's release has caused a wave of reaction from both sides. Anti-abortion law firm Americans United for Life urged the court to disregard "the expectations of pro-abortion activists or proxy media allies".

Planned Parenthood - the largest provider of reproductive health services in the US - has said it would "continue to fight like hell to protect the right to access safe, legal abortion".

It says its research found that 36 million women could lose abortion access if Roe v Wade were struck down.

The ruling is in the court's sights because Mississippi is asking for it to be overturned, with a final decision expected in late June or early July.

Thirteen states have already passed so-called trigger laws that will automatically ban abortion if Roe is overruled this summer. A number of others would be likely to pass laws quickly.

On Tuesday, Oklahoma's governor signed into law an anti-abortion measure based on one passed in Texas last year. The law allows any private citizen to sue anyone who aids in an abortion after six weeks of gestation - before many women even know they are pregnant.

President Joe Biden warned that such a legal change - if the decision stays the same - would have far-reaching implications.

"It concerns me a great deal that we're going to, after 50 years, decide a woman does not have a right to choose," he said.

"But even more, equally profound is the rationale used. It would mean that every other decision relating to the notion of privacy is thrown into question."

Mr Biden said he wanted legislation to enshrine the existing guarantees of abortion access.

"If it becomes the law, and if what is written remains, it goes far beyond the concern of whether or not there is the right to choose," he said.

"It goes to other basic rights - the right to marriage, the right to determine a whole range of things."

BBC North America reporter Anthony Zurcher says the basis for this lies in distinctions drawn by Justice Samuel Alito in the leaked opinion, which he wrote.

Some rights are spelt out in the US Constitution, the judge wrote, while others, such as access to abortion, are mere "unenumerated rights".

Our reporter points out that the same argument could be used in the case of gay marriage, in vitro fertilisation or certain forms of contraception.


Watch: US Senators react to leaked draft opinion on abortion


Watch: Pro-choice and anti-abortion demonstrators gather in Washington DC


Newsletter

Related Articles

PanamaTimes
0:00
0:00
Close
Apple warns against drying iPhones with rice
In a recent High Court hearing, the U.S. argued that Julian Assange endangered lives by releasing classified information.
Global Law Enforcement Dismantles Lockbit Ransomware Operation
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has died at the Arctic prison colony
The President of Argentina Javier Mile does not fly private, he flies commercial, with the citizens he represents. And they LOVE him for it.
Bitcoin Reaches $50,000 for First Time in Over Two Years
Belo Horizonte: Brazil's Rising Carnival Hotspot for 2024
In El Salvador, the 'Trump of Latin America' stuns the world with a speech slamming woke policing after winning a landslide election
Tucker’s interview with Putin is over 50M views on X within the first 5 hours.
Finnish Airline, Finnair, is voluntarily weighing passengers to better estimate flight cargo weight
President Nayib Bukele has proudly announced El Salvador's remarkable achievement of becoming the safest nation in the Western Hemisphere.
Former Chilean President Sebastian Piñera Dies in Helicopter Crash
This farmer seems to understand science a bit more than the event organizer, Klaus Schwab.
Facebook turns 20: From Mark Zuckerberg's dormitory to a $1trn company
The Coolest Dictator in the World" on the Path to Victory in El Salvador
Macron, France and fake news
Indian-Origin Man 'King' Arrested For Smuggling $16 Million Drugs Into US
Can someone teach Americans that not every person with slanted eyes is Chinese?
Europe's Farmers Feeding the People, Protesting Against Politicians Who Do Nothing for Their Country and Serve Only Themselves at Taxpayers' Expense
Paris Restaurant That Inspired 'Ratatouille' Loses $1.6 Million Worth Of Wine
Brazilian Police Investigate Bolsonaro's Son for Alleged Illegal Spying
Police in Brazil Raid Residence of Bolsonaro Associate Over Allegations of Illegal Spying
Border Dispute Escalates as Texas Governor Vows Increased Razor Wire
OpenAI Enhances ChatGPT-4 Model, Potentially Addressing AI "Laziness" Issue
The NSA finally acknowledges spying on Americans by acquiring sensitive data
Report Reveals Toxic Telegram Group Generating X-Rated AI-Generated Fake Images of Taylor Swift
US Border Patrol States 'No Plans' to Remove Razor Wire Installed in Texas
Bitcoin Experiences Approximately 20% Decline in Value
Klaus Schwab recently appointed himself as the Earth's "trustee of the future."
DeSantis Drops Out, Endorses Trump.
Nikki Haley said former President Trump is "just not at the same level" of mental fitness as he was while president in 2016.
Residents of a southern Mexican town set the government palace on fire in response to the police killing of a young man
Samsung Launches AI-Driven Galaxy S24, Ushering in New Smartphone Era
Judge Questions SEC's Regulatory Overreach in Coinbase Lawsuit
The Ecuador prosecutor who was investigating the television studio attack, has been assassinated.
Is artificial intelligence the solution to cyber security threats?
Vivek Ramaswamy suspends his US election campaign and endorses Trump.
Viral Satire: A Staged Satirical Clip Mistaken as Real Footage from the 2024 World Economic Forum in Davos
The AI Revolution in the Workforce: CEOs at Davos Predict Major Job Cuts in 2024
Ecuador Reports 178 Hostages in Prison Gang Standoff
The Startling Cuban Espionage Case That Has Rattled the US Government
Two Armed Men in Ecuador, Dressed as Batman and The Joker Storm the Streets.
Armed Gang Raids Ecuadorian TV Station Following State of Emergency Declaration
Anti-Democratic Canada: Journalist Arrested for Questioning Canadian Finance Minister on Support of Terrorist Group
Ecuador's 'Most-Wanted' Criminal Vanishes from Prison
Mexican Cartel Supplied Wi-Fi to Locals Under Threat of Fatal Consequences for Non-Compliance
Border Surge Leads to Over 11,000 Migrants Waiting in Northern Mexico
Outsider Candidates Triumph in Latin American Elections
As Argentina Goes to the Polls, Will the Proposal to Replace the Peso with the Dollar Secure Votes?
Fatal Shark Attack Claims Life of Boston Woman Paddleboarding Near Bahamas Resort, According to Police
×