US Supreme Court to hear appeal on abortion during virus crisis

WASHINGTON: Abortion rights advocates on Saturday called on the US Supreme Court to urgently intervene to force Texas to reinstate the right to abortion, which has been suspended in the state since the start of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

This is the first appeal related to COVID-19 to reach the highest American court, which has been operating only in writing for nearly a month.

The Court, which legalized abortion in 1973 in its landmark Roe v. Wade decision, will have to decide whether a state can suspend the case law in the name of a public health emergency.

This case will be a test for the Supreme Court, which has been profoundly reshaped since the election of President Donald Trump.

During his campaign, the Republican billionaire promised to appoint only anti-abortion judges to the court. Since then he has brought in two new judges out of nine.