The United States Supreme Court has overturned Roe v Wade, the landmark 1973 decision which recognised Americans’ constitutional right to abortion and legalised it nationwide, handing a momentous victory to Republicans and religious conservatives who want to limit or ban the procedure.
Key points:
- The 6-3 ruling upholds a Mississippi law banning abortion after 15 weeks
- Judges found Roe v Wade was wrongly decided because the constitution makes no specific mention of abortion
- Individual states will now decide whether abortion will be legal
The court’s ruling goes against an international trend of easing abortion laws, including in such countries as Ireland, Argentina, Mexico and Colombia where the Catholic Church continues to wield considerable influence.
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