Court rejects challenge to Roe v. Wade

Washington D.C., Feb 22, 2005 / 22:00 pm

The Supreme Court rejected yesterday a challenge to its landmark decision in Roe v. Wade, the 1973 case that legalized abortion nationwide.

The appeal was filed by Norma McCorvey, the woman once known as "Jane Roe," who was at the center of the historic case.

Without comment, justices declined to hear the appeal.

McCorvey, who has since become a practicing Catholic, says she now regrets her role in the decision. She has argued that that the case should be heard again given the ample evidence that abortion harms women.

At least three justices, Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, have said Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided and should be overturned.

Despite this, the Supreme Court’s decision yesterday was no surprise. A decision to reopen a case based on so-called "changed circumstances" is rare, and two lower courts had already refused to hear the case.