Daily Times

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the US Supreme Court on Wednesday as the nine justices heard arguments in a pivotal case that could roll back 50 years of abortion rights in the country.

“Abortion Is Murder,” read signs carried by anti-abortion protesters. “Abortion Is Health Care,” said placards displayed by supporters of abortion rights.

The Supreme Court, which was shifted dramatically to the right under former president Donald Trump, is examining a 2018 law in the southern state of Mississippi that prohibits most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

The nine-member court is expected to render a decision by next June, and supporters and opponents alike agree the ruling could be a historic moment regarding a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy.

In the landmark 1973 decision Roe v. Wade, the court held that access to abortion is a woman’s constitutional right, striking down state laws that restricted the procedure.

In a 1992 ruling, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the court guaranteed a woman’s right to a termination until the fetus is viable outside the womb, which is typically 22 to 24 weeks.