On 24th June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled there is no constitutional right to abortion in the United States, upending a precedent set nearly 50 years ago.
Roe v Wade was the landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973 to legalise abortion in America. The 1973 ruling recognised that the decision whether to continue or end a pregnancy belongs to the individual, not the government and that the right to ‘liberty’ in the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution includes the right to decide whether to continue with a pregnancy.
Louise McCudden, UK Advocacy and Public Affairs Advisor for MSI Reproductive Choices, said:
“Although the UK is a proudly pro-choice nation with over 90% of people in support of abortion rights, we are concerned how a rollback of Roe v Wade in the US will embolden anti-choice groups in the UK. We’re already seeing an increase in anti-choice activity outside some of our clinics, which may well be in part because anti-choice groups will now feel so emboldened by this news.
It’s also a timely reminder that abortion laws and access to services in the UK, although better than in many countries, are far from perfect. It is not right that abortion still sits within criminal law and people must obtain sign off from two doctors before they can access essential healthcare. The devastating news from the US should serve as a reminder that we in the UK can never take reproductive rights for granted until abortion is treated like all other healthcare.”
To read a joint statement from Sarah Shaw, Head of Advocacy at MSI Reproductive Choices, Banchiamlack Dessalegn, MSI’s Africa Director and Araceli Lopez Nava, MSI’s Latin America Regional Managing Director, click here: ‘Decisions made in the US have an impact far beyond their borders’ — MSI’s statement on Roe v Wade
To read more about the impact of Roe v Wade in the UK, click here: The rollback of US abortion rights will be felt worldwide
For further information, please contact:
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +44 (0) 7769 166 516
