The U.S. Supreme Court will launch a probe into the leak of a draft opinion on abortion rights, a statement said on Tuesday.

Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed the authenticity of the document indicating that a majority of justices were poised to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide.

Roberts reiterated the draft "does not represent a decision by the Court or the final position of any member on the issues in the case."

"To the extent this betrayal of the confidences of the Court was intended to undermine the integrity of our operations, it will not succeed," he continued. "The work of the Court will not be affected in any way."

The leaked paper, published by Politico on Monday night, would effectively eliminate abortion protections at the federal level and hand authority over abortion access to the states.

U.S. President Joe Biden weighed in on the bombshell on Tuesday, saying he believes that "a woman's right to choose is fundamental."

"Roe has been the law of the land for almost fifty years, and basic fairness and the stability of our law demand that it not be overturned," the Democrat argued.

Top congressional Republicans condemned the leak, describing it as a "clearly coordinated campaign to intimidate and obstruct the Justices of the United States Supreme Court."

The majority opinion was authored by Justice Samuel Alito, who wrote that "Roe was egregiously wrong from the start."

"We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled," Alito stated. "It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people's elected representatives."

According to the Politico scoop, Alito and four other conservative justices are part of the majority opinion, with Chief Justice Roberts' position to be determined.

Three liberal justices are reportedly working on one or more dissents.

Protesters of opposing sides gathered outside the Supreme Court on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, holding posters while chanting slogans.

Capitol Police tweeted at noon that they temporarily closed roads around the area "out of an abundance of caution, in order to keep the public safe."

The draft opinion under scrutiny was in response to a case stemming from a 2018 Mississippi law banning abortions after 15 weeks.

The Supreme Court is expected to rule on the case before its term ends in late June or early July.

Without Roe, abortion would immediately become illegal in at least 13 states across the United States, while Republican-led states are already moving to pass and enact restrictive laws.

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)