Millions of women in the United States could soon lose their legal right to abortion, according to a leaked Supreme Court document.
The document, published by Politico, suggests the country’s top court is poised to overturn Roe versus Wade, the 1973 court decision that legalised abortion nationwide.
If the court strikes down the ruling, individual states would be allowed to ban abortion. It’s predicted that could happen in almost half of US states.
The Supreme Court’s justices are expected to issue a ruling in late June or early July. They are considering the 1973 decision after the state of Mississippi asked for it to be overturned.
Some 36 million women could lose access to abortion in the US, according to research from Planned Parenthood, a healthcare organisation which provides abortions.
President Joe Biden said that if the court does overturn the national right to abortion then: “it will fall on our nation’s elected officials at all levels of government to protect a woman’s right to choose”.
Sophie Raworth presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Sarah Smith.
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