The US Supreme Court has signalled a willingness to curtail abortion rights in the US and possibly overturn the 1973 Roe v Wade ruling that legalised terminations.
The court is debating whether to uphold a Mississippi law that outlaws nearly all abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
The court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, is preparing to rule in the southern state’s appeal to revive its ban after it was blocked by lower courts.
Jackson Women’s Health Organisation, the only abortion clinic in Mississippi, challenged the law and has the backing of Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration.
However, during the first day of oral hearings, the conservative justices indicated they are open to overturning abortion laws.
If the justices uphold Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization it would effectively nullify the 1992 ruling, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which found women had a right to an abortion until a fetus is viable.
