In a historic decision on Tuesday, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that the state must adhere to a 123-year-old provision of the criminal code that prohibits all abortions except in cases where it is “necessary to save” the life of the woman. pregnant.
The law, which dates back to 1864, also provided for a prison sentence of two to five years for people offering abortion services.
The case is the latest high-profile example of the battle over abortion access that has raged in several states since Roe v. Wade. Wade was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022. Since that ruling, nearly two dozen states have banned or limited access to the procedure.
Abortion providers have warned that restrictive policies put patients at health risk and doctors at risk of legal liability.
In a notice Monday, the Arizona court indicated it will issue an opinion in the case Planned Parenthood of Arizona vs. Mayes/Hazelrigg.
The justices heard opening arguments in the case last December, when opponents of abortion rights argued that the state should revert to the 1901 ban, and supporters asked the court to affirm the 2022 law allowing abortions up to 15 weeks, previously informed the CNN .
When he signed the law in March 2022, then-Governor Doug Ducey stated that the 2022 law would not replace the previous law.
In late 2022, the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled that both abortion laws in the state must be reconciled, or “harmonized,” and that abortion is legal for 15 weeks when provided by licensed doctors in compliance with other laws and regulations. of State.
The state Supreme Court was asked to clarify after months of uncertainty and legal wrangling over which law should apply in the state.
Last week, Arizona for Abortion Access, a group of abortion rights organizations, announced that it had gathered enough signatures for a November 2024 ballot measure that would ask voters to enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution.
The push is part of a massive effort to get abortion on the ballot in 2024 in several states, a move that abortion rights advocates hope will restore some power to voters rather than state courts.
Source: CNN Brasil
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