United States: Supreme Court to review Texas anti-abortion law on November 1

Abortion supporter holding a sign outside the Texas State Capitol building during the National Women's March in Austin on October 2, 2021 (Image illustration).

REUTERS - EVELYN HOCKSTEIN

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

Five days after the Biden administration's request for urgent Supreme Court intervention on Texas anti-abortion law, judges responded favorably.

They will study the case on November 1.

But the law will not be suspended in the meantime.

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With our correspondent in Houston

Thomas Harms

On Monday, November 1, the Supreme Court will hear two complaints relating to the law drastically limiting abortion in Texas.

One from the US Department of Justice, and the other from the Whole Women Health clinic, which performs abortion in Texas.

But the judges will not rule on the constitutionality or the substance of the law.

They will only rule on its legality.

The SB8 law gives citizens full responsibility to file a complaint against anyone suspected of having helped perform an abortion after six weeks.

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Also listen: United States: in Texas, the right to abortion has been considerably restricted

Mississippi anti-abortion law reviewed

On December 1, the Supreme Court is also due to rule on an anti-abortion law in another southern state.

Since 2018, Mississippi has decided to ban all abortions after 15 weeks, which contradicts the 1973 and 1992 Supreme Court rulings that allow abortions until the fetus is viable, usually around 24 weeks.

But feminist associations now fear that the judges of the Supreme Court, 6 conservatives against 3 liberals, do not propose what they would qualify as a compromise by challenging the too extreme Texas law and by validating the Mississippi law.

In this case, abortion in the United States would not be prohibited, but considerably reduced.

The Supreme Court's decision may not be rendered until June 2022.

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  • United States

  • Womens rights