By Pacific Island Times News Staff
While Guam senators are scheduled to hear this week the Heartbeat bill that would limit access to abortion on island, a leaked U.S. Supreme Court's draft decision that overturns Roe v. Wave began circulating online Monday.
The leaked draft, obtained by Politico, indicated that the justices have voted to reverse the iconic 1973 jurisprudence, which has been the bible for pro-choice activists.
“Roe was egregiously wrong from the start,” writes Justice Samuel Alito, author of the draft majority opinion. “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.”
Roe v. Wade established a constitutional right to abortion. Over the years, the court has upheld some states' restrictions on that right, but has kept Roe intact — until the decision, which has to be officially issued.
Alito’s draft ruling was based on an appeal from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals' decision.
Alito wrote that Roe’s “survey of history ranged from the constitutionally irrelevant to the plainly incorrect,” reasoned with “exceptionally weak" arguments and had “damaging consequences.”
“The inescapable conclusion is that a right to abortion is not deeply rooted in the Nation’s history and traditions,” Alito writes.