Current Development in the United States Case Law on Abortion and its Possible Impacts on the European Union and Continental Legal System

Abstract

This article aims to acquaint readers with the role and decision-making practice of the (Federal) Supreme Court of the United States of America in the matter of artificial abortion and a woman’s right to abortion in general. Special focus is placed on jurisprudential development in 2022, as a landmark decision was issued in 2022, which significantly interferes with the right to abortion throughout the United States. Abortion and abortion policy is currently widely discussed across the United States. For several decades, it was clear beyond any doubt that abortion is, in essence, a fundamental human right arising from the Constitution itself (Fourteenth Amendment) and that a woman can – while respecting certain set rules – undergo abortion, particularly in the first trimester, at virtually any time, according to her will. However, what was regarded as a certain and fundamental women’s right arising from the Constitution, has been overruled by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022 for the first time in 50 years. In addition to the description of the current situation in the United States, this article briefly reflects on the possible effects of the current state of jurisprudence in the United States on the continental legal system. This article is created and reflects the legal status as of December 1, 2022.