Politico claims to have seen the draft “opinion”, which, if genuine, is, they say, a “great” and “unwavering denunciation of the 1973 decision”, which guarantees constitutional protection of abortion rights. The report states that the court opinion was written by Judge Samuel Alito and circulated in court. Apparently he says “Roe made a terrible mistake from the beginning.” It is not clear at this stage whether the draft represents the court’s final argument on the matter. The Supreme Court has not yet issued a formal ruling on the case and the views – even the judges’ votes – are known to have changed during the drafting process. The court is expected to rule on the case before her term ends in late June or early July. Image: Within an hour protesters in favor of abortion rights had gathered outside the Supreme Court The revelation was met with disappointment by pro-abortion groups. Planned Parenthood wrote on Twitter: “While abortion is still legal, tonight’s report makes it clear that our deepest fears are coming true. “We have reached a time of crisis for access to abortion. We do not have time to devote – we must act now.” Former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that if the decision were valid, it would be a “direct attack on the dignity, rights and lives of women, not to mention decades of established legislation. “It will kill and subjugate women even as the vast majority of Americans believe abortion should be legal,” she said. “What an absolute shame.” In a joint statement, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Sumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said: “If the report is accurate, the Supreme Court is ready to impose the greatest restriction of rights in the last fifty years – not only on women but on all Americans. “The reported vote by the judges appointed by the Republicans to overthrow Roe against Wade would be considered an abomination, one of the worst and most damaging decisions in modern history.” Democratic senator and activist Bernie Saunders said people should act “NOW” to “pass legislation that codifies Roe vs. Wade as state law.” Senator Elizabeth Warren described the Supreme Court as “extremist” and said she wanted to “impose her far-right, unpopular views across the country.” Politico published what it said was a “first draft” of the “Court of Opinion” in a case challenging the Mississippi abortion ban after 15 weeks, a case known as Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The Supreme Court currently has a conservative majority of 6-3. Judge Alito was appointed by former President George W Bush. Intense conversation Politico says he signed the draft saying: “Roe made a terrible mistake from the beginning. “We believe Roe and Casey should be overlooked,” he said, referring to the 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey case, which confirmed Roe’s assertion that he had a constitutional right to abortion services – but allowed states to impose some restrictions on the practice.
Analysis by Greg Milam, US correspondent
The US Supreme Court ruling on abortion is one of the most anticipated and potentially consequential decades of US justice. This makes the leak of a draft decision even more astonishing and certain that it will provoke reactions against the court and the states that pushed for a ban on abortions. The contents of the leaked opinion, written by Conservative Judge Samuel Alito, will not surprise anyone. The conservative tendency of the court these days has led most to expect it to fit in with these Republican states when it expresses its final opinion. When Donald Trump, as president’s right, had the opportunity to appoint three new judges to the court, many commentators saw the writing on the wall. Abortion was an issue that mattered to Trump’s voters. But the unprecedented nature of this leak – almost nothing ever leaks from the Supreme Court’s internal functions, let alone drafts opinions – will anger those seeking to protect the right to seek abortion. If the court, as Alito suggests, overturns the constitutional right to seek abortion, it will be up to the individual states to prohibit or restrict it. The ruling will trigger an automatic ban in 13 states and will automatically remain legal in another 17. Campaigners say it poses a risk to women’s health across America when traveling hundreds of miles to states that allow abortion is not possible. The Biden government has sincerely condemned the abortion laws. The White House and America face a test of how to respond. The leak came amid a legislative push to limit abortions in several Republican-led states – Oklahoma is the most recent – even before a court ruling. A spokeswoman for the Supreme Court said the court had no comment. The leak sparked intense political debate that was expected to have the final ruling of the Supreme Court during the midterm election year. Image: Poll shows relatively few Americans want to see Roe overturned. Photo: AP Politicians on both sides were already using it to raise money and mobilize their supporters on both sides of the issue. An AP-NORC poll in December found that Democrats increasingly see the protection of abortion rights as a top priority for the government. Other polls suggest relatively few Americans want to see Roe overthrown. Image: The US Supreme Court is located in Washington DC In 2020, the AP VoteCast found that 69% of voters in the presidential election said the Supreme Court should leave the Roe Wade ruling as it is. Only 29% said the court should overturn the decision. In general, the AP-NORC poll finds that the majority of the public argues that abortion is legal in most or all cases. However, when asked about abortion policy in general, Americans have different views on the issue and many do not believe that abortion should be possible after the first trimester or that women should be able to have a legal abortion for any reason. . Alito said the court could not predict how the public might react and should not try. “We can not allow our decisions to be influenced by any foreign influences, such as concerns about the public’s reaction to our work,” Alito wrote in the draft opinion, according to Politico. Until now, the court has allowed states to regulate but not prohibit abortion before the viability point, about 24 weeks. The three liberal judges of the court seemed likely to disagree.
