The US Supreme Court has agreed to review the Mississippi state’s anti-abortion law. The law prohibits abortion if the woman in question is pregnant for more than 15 weeks.
The limit has been 24 weeks since 1973, due to the Supreme Court ruling in the Roe v. Wade case. In it, the Supreme Court ruled that most laws prohibiting abortion are unconstitutional.
In a 1992 case it was confirmed that an abortion should be possible until the fetus is viable outside the womb. Doctors generally assume 24 to 28 weeks for this.
Mississippi wanted its strict abortion law in 2018 import, but met with a lot of resistance. An abortion clinic challenged the law and won, after which the state went to a higher court and lost there too.
Many conservative Americans have long wanted abortion to be banned altogether, or at least the law to be tightened up. They often point out that life is sacred and that it begins at conception or shortly thereafter.
The Supreme Court is now made up of six Conservative and three Liberal justices. The Republicans, who rule Mississippi, hope they get enough judges this time.
–
