What is Roe v Wade and has it been overturned?
IN THE early 1970s, the Supreme Court took up a landmark case titled Roe v. Wade to determine the future of abortion rights across the United States.
Since then, the ruling has been threatened as many have tried to get it overturned.
What is Roe v Wade?
The 1973 ruling of Roe v. Wade asserted the 14th amendment and declared access to safe and legal abortion as a constitutional right.
The case was heard to decide if ' ban on abortions, which were completely outlawed except when a woman's life was in danger, was constitutional.
The voted 7-2 in favor of the right to an abortion.
It said women had a right to privacy, which meant it was up to them to decide whether to continue their pregnancy.
It also divided pregnancy into three trimesters, declaring that the first three months are solely at the discretion of the woman.
In the second trimester, the states can regulate abortions in the interests of the woman's health.
In the last three months, states can prohibit abortions in the interest of the fetus, provided the pregnancy will not bring harm to the pregnant woman.
Justice Blackmun wrote the majority opinion in the case after the decision had been made.
The draft revealed that the Supreme Court has "voted to strike down the Roe v Wade decision."
“Roe was egregiously wrong from the start. Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences,” Alito wrote in the document obtained by Politico.
“We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled. The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitution provision…”
Alito added "We emphasize that our decision concerns the constitutional right to abortion and no other right."
"Nothing in this opinion should be understood to cast doubt on precedents that do not concern abortion."
"Roe was egregiously wrong from the start," Alito wrote for the majority, via . "Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences."
Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), then requested that the Supreme Court block the legislation.
On September 1, the ACLU confirmed that the court had "not responded to our request", adding: "Access to almost all abortion has just been cut off for millions of people."
The group has described the law as "blatantly unconstitutional."
Texan women who wish to have an abortion after six weeks will need to travel across state lines to find a physician or clinic that can perform the procedure.
Americans may be able to seek up to $10,000 in damages in a civil court against abortion providers as well as anyone who "aids and abets"; an illegal abortion.
In theory, this could mean clinic staff and family members could all be targeted for a lawsuit.
The ACLU has said that the law will encourage "a bounty hunting scheme" of costly "vigilante lawsuits" designed to harass women seeking an abortion.
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