On Tuesday, 28 June 2016, the day after its decision to reject a Texan law limiting abortion, the United States Supreme Court also refused to consider restrictions taken by the States of Mississippi and Wisconsin (see United States: the Supreme Court rejects Texan law limiting abortion).
In fact, both these States had adopted “legislation obliging doctors practising abortion to have the right to admit their patients to a local hospital – a condition that is difficult for practitioners to obtain”. It was behind the closure of several local abortion centres.
These restrictions were reviewed by lower courts and were “frozen”. Resolutely confirming the right of women to access abortion, the highest American court in fact upheld the decisions of these courts.
Abortion is an issue that has divided the country for several decades. It was adopted by the United States in 1973 but this decision led to numerous restrictive measures in certain States: “over 1,000 restrictions”, according to Jennifer Dalven, American Civil Liberties Union lawyer, who added that these restrictions “take on numerous guises”.
The decision taken on Monday by the Supreme Court will oblige certain States to review their policies for accessing abortion.