Landmark U.S. abortion ruling, debate ripple into Canada

Professional-choice and anti-abortion teams right here react to historic improvement

Individuals protest in response to the Dobbs v Jackson Girls’s Well being Group ruling in entrance of the U.S. Supreme Court docket on June 24, 2022 in Washington, DC. The Court docket’s resolution in Dobbs v Jackson Girls’s Well being overturns the landmark 50-year-old Roe v Wade case and erases a federal proper to an abortion. Photograph by Brandon Bell /Getty Photographs)

A landmark abortion ruling Friday by the U.S. Supreme Court docket is having repercussions in Canada as many weigh-in on the difficulty now flaring up south of the border.

“It’s devastating resolution that has come down. Not that we weren’t anticipating it,” mentioned Carolyn Egan, with the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada.

“The response within the U.S. is much like what we’re feeling right here: rage, upset, all of that.”

Marketing campaign Life Coalition mentioned it’s celebrating the ruling which overturns the 1973 Roe v. Wade abortion resolution.

“Science is clearly on the facet of life. Courts are actually lastly starting to meet up with science,” mentioned Jeff Gunnarson, President of the Coalition.

He added, “This victory signifies a loosening of the iron grip that the pro-abortion motion has held on America for many years.”

Josie Luetke, Youth Co-coordinator for Marketing campaign Life Coalition, mentioned the U.S. Supreme Court docket’s resolution was anticipated.

It has “reignited the abortion debate not solely in Canada, however around the globe,” she mentioned.

“The time for justice for pre-born infants has lastly arrived, and it is a day we’ve got lengthy waited for.”

However Egan mentioned the U.S. transfer doesn’t sign the difficulty will erupt as a dwell, legislative subject in Canada.

“If one seems again on the final variety of federal elections, not one of the events wished to reopen the abortion subject. That was even out of the mouths of Stephen Harper, and O’Toole. We are going to see what the brand new chief of the Conservatives has to say,” mentioned Egan.

Interim Conservative chief Candice Bergen mentioned the get together’s place on abortion hasn’t modified and it’ll not introduce laws or reopen the controversy.

Abortion was first decriminalized in Canada in 1969.

In 1988, the Supreme Court docket struck down the 1969 abortion legislation ruling it was unconstitutional and violated a lady’s Constitution proper to ‘safety of the individual.’

Parliament was tasked in 1988 to create a brand new legislation.

However such a invoice has by no means taken form.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau weighed in on the numerous American improvement Friday calling it ‘horrific’.

“My coronary heart goes out to the hundreds of thousands of American ladies who are actually set to lose their authorized proper to an abortion. I can’t think about the worry and anger you feel proper now,” he tweeted.

“No authorities, politician, or man ought to inform a lady what she will and can’t do along with her physique. I need ladies in Canada to know that we are going to all the time get up in your proper to decide on.”

slaurie@postmedia.com
Twitter: @_ScottLaurie