Roberts: Why isn’t 15 weeks enough time to choose whether to abort a baby?
December 1, 2021 | District of Columbia
Chief Justice John Roberts Wednesday questioned the lawyer challenging a Mississippi abortion law about why its ban on abortion after 15 weeks doesn’t give women enough time to choose to terminate a pregnancy.
“If you think that the issue is one of choice — that women should have a choice to terminate their pregnancy — that supposes that there is a point at which they’ve had the fair choice, opportunity to choice,” Roberts said. “And why would 15 weeks be an inappropriate line? Viability, it seems to me, doesn’t have anything to do with choice. But if it really is an issue about choice, why is 15 weeks not enough time?”
Center for Reproductive Rights lawyer Julie Rickelman replied that changing the standard for when states can ban abortions would create a slippery slope.
“The state has conceded that some women will not be able obtain an abortion before 15 weeks and this law will bar them from doing so,” she said. “Without viability, there will be no stopping point. States will rush to ban abortion at virtually any point in pregnancy.”… (Excerpts from Fox News)
