Leaked document shows Supreme Court in US could overturn landmark Roe v Wade case

Protesters gathered at the Supreme Court in Washington following the leak

placeholder image — Protesters gathered at the Supreme Court in Washington following the leak

A leaked document that states there is no constitutional right to abortion services in the United States could threaten to overturn the landmark Roe v Wade case from 1973.

The case in question involved 'Jane Roe', a pseudonym for single mother Norma McCorvey, who was pregnant for a third time and was seeking an abortion in Texas.

Roe sued Dallas Attorney General, Henry Wade, over the Texas law that made it a crime to terminate a pregnancy except in cases of incest, rape or when the mother's life was in danger.

But a document labelled 'Opinion of the Court' has been reportedly circulated among US Supreme Court Justices suggesting the historic case could yet be overturned.

Political news organisation Politico who published the document shows the court voted to overturn the case although it is unclear if the document shows the courts final decision on the matter.

The draft opinion states:

"Roe was egregiously wrong from the start.

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

Casey is in reference to another historic case in 1992 which saw Planned Parenthood v Casey affirm Roe's findings of a constitutional right to abortion services but allowed states to place some constraints on the practice.

Women's reproductive rights have been under extreme threat in recent months in the US and if the case is overturned, it will mean each state in the US can decide whether or not to place more heavy regulations or completely ban abortions, which according to pro-choice research group The Guttmacher Institute, 26 states are 'certain or likely' to do so in this event.

Planned Parenthood which operates abortion clinics around the US has slammed the draft opinion as 'outrageous' but cautioned that it 'is not final'.

Elizabeth Warren, Senator of Massachusetts, opposed the draft opinion on twitter saying:

"An extremist Supreme Court is poised to overturn Roe v Wade and impose its far-right, unpopular views on the entire country".