The US Supreme Court ruled in a case challenging a state’s total ban on abortion that abortion procedures should be permitted in emergency cases.

The law in the Midwestern US state of Idaho prohibits abortions except in limited circumstances, such as to prevent the death of the pregnant woman, and imposes criminal penalties on doctors who perform the procedure.

In response, the Biden administration, which supports women’s right to abortion, filed a lawsuit seeking to block the state law, but the Supreme Court ruled on the 27th that abortions should be allowed to be performed at the discretion of doctors in emergency cases.

However, the Supreme Court’s decision did not address the merits of state laws themselves, and American media have reported that it is a temporary victory for abortion rights advocates.

The Supreme Court, which has been dominated by conservative justices under the first Trump administration, overturned a ruling two years ago that recognized abortion as a constitutional right, and Idaho’s law was then put into effect.

Abortion is an issue that divides public opinion in the United States and is one of the major issues in the presidential election in November.

Source: Japanese