On October 7, 2024, the Supreme Court of Georgia reinstated a ban on nearly all abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, while the state appeals a lower court's ruling that had blocked the law. The order allows the ban to take effect immediately, causing significant concern among reproductive rights advocates.
The lawsuit challenging the ban was initiated by the Atlanta-based SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective. Executive Director Monica Simpson criticized the court's decision, stating, 'Today, the Georgia Supreme Court sided with anti-abortion extremists. Every minute this harmful six-week abortion ban is in place, Georgians suffer.'
Previously, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney had blocked the law on September 30, citing violations of privacy and liberty rights guaranteed by the state constitution. The law, passed in 2019, prohibits most abortions once a 'human heartbeat' is detected, typically around the six-week mark, often before many women are aware of their pregnancies. The law's enforcement was delayed until the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which had previously guaranteed abortion rights across the nation.
This development has implications for reproductive rights in the U.S., as it reflects ongoing legal battles over abortion access in various states following the Supreme Court's decision. The situation in Georgia could influence similar legislative efforts and legal challenges in other states.