Roe v. Wade

About

Roe v. Wade is a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case decided in 1973, recognizing a woman's constitutional right to choose whether to have an abortion. The case, brought by Norma McCorvey under the pseudonym "Jane Roe," challenged Texas's abortion laws, which only allowed abortion if the mother's life was at risk. The Court ruled that the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment protects a woman's right to privacy, including the decision to have an abortion prior to fetal viability. This decision struck down many state abortion laws, setting a framework for regulating abortion based on pregnancy trimesters. The ruling established a trimester framework: in the first trimester, states could not restrict abortion; in the second, states could regulate for health reasons; and in the third, states could restrict or ban abortion except when necessary to save the mother's life or health. Roe v. Wade was reaffirmed in Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992) but was overturned in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (2022), allowing states to regulate or ban abortion. The case remains a pivotal moment in U.S. legal history, influencing debates on reproductive rights and privacy.