.- The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a “per se” requirement Feb. 24 that all abortion statutes must contain an exception to protect the health or life of the mother in order to be constitutional.
This case illustrates that striking down abortion laws will become much more difficult in the future, says the Liberty Counsel.
According to the Liberty Counsel, the Planned Parenthood Cincinnati Region v. Taft case is significant for two reasons: the court ruled that a health exception is not always necessary for laws restricting abortion, and; the ruling is the first application of the Supreme Court’s decision in Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood.
Relying on the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood, issued Jan. 18, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals also ruled that lower courts could not strike down entire statutes when a narrow ruling is possible.
