Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization

2022 U.S. Supreme Court judgement on abortion

Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization is a landmark decision by the US Supreme Court that ruled that abortion in the United States is not a protected right in the country. The Court heard the case in December 2021 and decided that the law, passed by Mississippi in 2018, is constitutional. It made all abortions after the first 15 weeks of pregnancy illegal.[2]

See link in caption for a text equivalent
Status of abortion laws by state[1]
  Illegal
  Potentially illegal
  Soon to be illegal
  Legal for now
  Legal

On May 2, 2022, Politico published a leaked draft opinion. Someone found Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito's notes and gave them to Politico[source?]. The notes looked like a majority opinion and so they would probably match the final decision. In the draft, Alito decided to overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey and rejected those earlier Supreme Court cases. Those court cases made abortion legal in the United States. With those decisions gone, each state would decide for itself whether it would make abortion legal or not.[3]

Decision

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On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision that abortion is not a protected right in the United States.[4]

Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch, and Amy Coney Barrett wrote the majority opinion. Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor wrote the dissenting opinion.[5] Chief Justice John Roberts wrote a concurring opinion, which declared the law constitutional but did not overturn Roe v. Wade, which allowed abortion.[6]

Reactions

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After leak

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After the leak, members of the US Senate tried to make a new law to allow abortion in the whole country. The law would stop any states from making abortion illegal, but it did not pass.[7]

On May 14, protesters marched and held up signs in more than 380 cities across the United States, and 20,000 people marched in Washington, DC. That was called the "Bans off Our Bodies" protests.[8][9] [10] [11]

After decision

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US President Joe Biden said, "It's a sad day for the Court and for the country," and that "the health and life of women in this nation are now at risk."[12] In a statement, former President Donald Trump took credit for the decision and called it "the biggest WIN for LIFE in a generation.”[13]

Many world leaders and diplomats are against the decision and support abortion as a human right like UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet,[14] Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,[15][16] British Prime Minister Boris Johnson,[17] Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo,[18] French President Emmanuel Macron,[19][16] Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen,[20] New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern,[21] and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.[22]

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, a Republican, signed an executive order protecting abortion rights in the state.[23] Democrat Governors Jay Inslee, Kate Brown, and Gavin Newsom, respectively of Washington State, Oregon, and California, also announced a creation of the "West Coast offense," a joint policy to allow and protect abortion rights.[24]

In Florida, a new law restricts abortions to 15 weeks of pregnancy, down from 24, with no exceptions for rape or incest.[25]

References

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  1. Messerly, Megan (2022-06-24). "Abortion laws by state: Where abortions are illegal after Roe v. Wade overturned". POLITICO. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
  2. "Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization". Cornell Law School. 23 November 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  3. Gerstein, Josh; Ward, Alexander (May 2, 2022). "Supreme Court has voted to overturn abortion rights, draft opinion shows". Politico. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  4. de Vogue, Arinne (June 24, 2022). "Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade". CNN. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  5. Mangan, Dan (June 24, 2022). "Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, ending 50 years of federal abortion rights". CNBC. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  6. Roberts, John, "ROBERTS , C. J., concurring in judgment" (PDF), DOBBS, STATE HEALTH OFFICER OF THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, ET AL. v. JACKSON WOMEN’S HEALTH ORGANIZATION ET AL, p. 1, archived (PDF) from the original on June 24, 2022, retrieved June 24, 2022
  7. Lisa Mascaro (May 11, 2022). "Senate bid to save Roe v. Wade falls to GOP-led filibuster". AP. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  8. Gabriella Porter; Costas Pitas (May 15, 2022). "Thousands in U.S. march under 'Ban Off Our Bodies' banner for abortion rights". Reuters.
  9. Ashraf Khalil; David Sharp (May 15, 2022). "Abortion rights backers rally in anger over post-Roe future". AP.
  10. Liz Baker; Cheryl Corley; Rina Torchinsky (May 14, 2022). "Reproductive rights supporters rally across the country". NPR.
  11. Justin Madden, Mark Oliver, and Maya Yang (May 14, 2022). "Pro-choice demonstrators rally across the US over expected reversal of Roe v Wade – as it happened". The Guardian.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. Sullivan, Kate (June 24, 2022). "Biden says 'Roe is on the ballot' this fall as Democrats consider options on abortion rights". CNN. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  13. Mangan, Lauren Feiner,Dan (June 24, 2022). "Trump takes credit for end of Roe v. Wade after his 3 Supreme Court justice picks vote to void abortion rights". CNBC. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. "UN commissioner calls SCOTUS overturning Roe v. Wade "a huge blow to women's human rights"". CNN. June 24, 2022. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  15. Tasker, John Paul (June 24, 2022). "Trudeau calls U.S. court decision overturning Roe v. Wade 'horrific'". CBC News. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  16. 16.0 16.1 Soto, Kaly (June 24, 2022). "World leaders react to Roe ruling". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  17. "Overturning Roe v Wade a 'big step backwards', says Boris Johnson – video". The Guardian. June 24, 2022. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  18. Norman, Laurence (June 24, 2022). "Europeans React on Roe v. Wade". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  19. Vogt, Adrienne; Sangal, Aditi; Hammond, Elise; Wagner, Meg; Rocha, Veronica (June 24, 2022). "French President Macron expresses "solidarity" with US women after overturning of Roe v. Wade". CNN. Archived from the original on June 25, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  20. Coleman, Julie (June 24, 2022). "'Big Step Backwards': World Leaders React To Roe V. Wade Decision". Forbes. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  21. "Ardern reacts to US' Roe v Wade abortion ruling overturn". 1News. June 25, 2022. Archived from the original on June 25, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  22. "PM, opposition leaders slam US Supreme Court ruling on abortion". Kathimerini. June 25, 2022. Archived from the original on June 25, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  23. "Roe v. Wade overturned: Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signs order protecting abortion rights: 'I am deeply disappointed in today's decision by the Supreme Court'". MassLive. June 24, 2022. Archived from the original on June 25, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  24. Chen, Shawna (24 June 2022). "California, Washington and Oregon launch "West Coast offense" to protect abortion rights". Axios. Axios Media. Archived from the original on June 25, 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  25. Sarkissian, Arek (June 24, 2022). "DeSantis says Florida will 'expand pro-life protections' after Supreme Court ruling". Politico. Retrieved June 25, 2022.