Roe V Wade
Roe v. Wade is a landmark legal case in the United States of America that ruled on the constitutionality of laws restricting abortion. The case was filed in 1970 by “Jane Roe,” a pseudonym used for Norma McCorvey, who sought to terminate her unwanted pregnancy in Texas. At the time, Texas law prohibited most abortions except those performed to save the life of the mother. The case made its way to the Supreme Court, where it was argued in December 1971 and decided on January 22, 1973.
Background:
- In the early 1970s, abortion laws varied widely across states, with many states having restrictive laws that criminalized most abortions.
- Norma McCorvey, a pregnant woman living in Texas, filed a lawsuit challenging the state’s abortion law, which prohibited most abortions except those necessary to save the life of the mother.
Legal Proceedings:
- The case was initially filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, where the district court ruled in favor of McCorvey, declaring the Texas abortion laws unconstitutional.
- The case was then appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, where it was argued on December 13, 1971.
Supreme Court Decision:
- On January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court issued its landmark decision in Roe v. Wade, with a 7-2 majority.
- The Court ruled that the right to privacy under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution extends to a woman’s decision to have an abortion.
- The Court held that states could not prohibit abortions outright but could regulate them in ways reasonably related to maternal health in the later stages of pregnancy.
- The decision effectively legalized abortion nationwide and invalidated existing state laws that criminalized or restricted access to abortion.
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