Overview
Roe v. Wade is perhaps the most famous Supreme Court case today. It accomplished two things 1) enshrined abortion as a fundamental constitutional right 2) struck down all state laws prohibiting abortion. Just this last summer, however, Roe v. Wade has been overturned by a new Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. "It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people's elected representatives," Justice Samuel Alito delivered in the opinion for the court, which was joined by Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. Chief Justice John Roberts delivered a concurring opinion while the court's three liberal justices -- Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan -- dissented.
This week we watch a highly informative legal history of the landmark decision in Roe that has now been overturned. After watching the video provide brief answers to the following questions.
- Where does the opinion in Roe v. Wade say it finds the constitutional right to privacy?
- What is one of the arguments in the Court opinion for a legal right to abortion?
- Do you think Roe v. Wade is a good example or bad example of the use of judicial power?