On Thursday, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the American Family Planning Association of Indiana and Kentucky legally attacked the State of Indiana on the recently approved abortion law (see Indiana is the second US state to ban abortion in relation to Down Syndrome).
According to the ACLU’s Legal Director, Ken Falk, this law, which, in his opinion, “seeks to violate women’s privacy and control their decision,” is unprecedented and unconstitutional. As far as the President of the Indiana and Kentucky Family Planning Association is concerned, “it does not respect women”.
This process is not the only offensive directed against this new law: a campaign called, “the Pence periods” asking the Governor’s cabinet to inform women about their periods has been launched, and a demonstration is set to take place this weekend.
In the Mike Pence camp, “there is every confidence in the constitutional nature of the law”. The necessary steps will be taken in conjunction with the Justice Minister “to defend this legislation which improves the information given to pregnant women and protects the unborn child”.
For Indiana Right to Life, an anti-abortion association supporting the law, budgetary reasons motivate the legal attack intended by the Family Planning Association, which is merely attempting to safeguard its income.
According to legal actions, the new law places “an excessive burden on women’s rights to choose abortion”since it prohibits the practice under certain conditions and has costly requirements such as cremation or incineration of the foetus, whereas women should have the right to undergo an abortion during the 1st trimester of pregnancy “for any reason whatsoever”.
The case will be examined by Tanya Walton Pratt, American Federal Court Judge.
The Wall Street Journal (07/04/2016)