US President Joe Biden says “the Supreme Court has made some terrible decisions”, the day after it ended the constitutional right to abortion.
Key quotes from historic Supreme Court abortion ruling
The decision, released on Friday morning, will have repercussions in the US for years to come.
With the ruling, the conservative-majority court effectively ended the constitutional right to an abortion.
Five justices were in favour: Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote a separate opinion saying that he supported an abortion law in Mississippi at the centre of the case but he would not have overturned Roe v Wade.
The three other justices disagreed with the majority – Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kaga.
Here are some key passages from the landmark ruling:Quote Message: “Roe was egregiously wrong from the start. Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences. And far from bringing about a national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and Casey have enflamed debate and deepened division” from Samuel Alito, writing for the majority Supreme Court justice
“Roe was egregiously wrong from the start. Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences. And far from bringing about a national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and Casey have enflamed debate and deepened division”Samuel Alito, writing for the majoritySupreme Court justiceQuote Message: “It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives” from Samuel Alito, writing for the majority Supreme Court justice
“It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives”Samuel Alito, writing for the majoritySupreme Court justiceQuote Message: “The majority would allow States to ban abortion from conception onward because it does not think forced childbirth at all implicates a woman’s rights to equality and freedom. Today’s Court, that is, does not think there is anything of constitutional significance attached to a woman’s control of her body and the path of her life” from Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, in the dissent Supreme Court justices
“The majority would allow States to ban abortion from conception onward because it does not think forced childbirth at all implicates a woman’s rights to equality and freedom. Today’s Court, that is, does not think there is anything of constitutional significance attached to a woman’s control of her body and the path of her life”Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, in the dissentSupreme Court justicesQuote Message: “Whatever the exact scope of the coming laws, one result of today’s decision is certain: the curtailment of women’s rights, and of their status as free and equal citizens” from Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, in the dissent Supreme Court justices
“Whatever the exact scope of the coming laws, one result of today’s decision is certain: the curtailment of women’s rights, and of their status as free and equal citizens”Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, in the dissentSupreme Court justicesArticle share tools.
