Several states have moved to ban abortion after a Supreme Court ruling that removed federal protections.
A federal judge in the US state of Arizona has blocked a state law allowing others with “rights, privileges, and immunities to be inseminated”.
Monday’s ruling against the so-called “humanity” law by US District Judge Douglas Rayes comes as state governments across the country seek to clarify the legality of abortion after decision of the US Supreme Court in June. overturned Roe v Wade, a 1973 decision access is set Safe abortion is a right protected by the US constitution.
Rayes ruled the bill, which was signed by Arizona’s governor in 2021 but had no legal effect before the Supreme Court’s decision, was too vague.
Abortion providers have argued that the law does not clearly state what would be prohibited by law and what, if any, criminal charges they could face for the procedure.
Jessica Sklarsky, an attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights who argued for the case, said: “The court made the right decision today by preventing this law from being used to create a restraining order. Unimaginable extreme abortion.
“The Supreme Court’s catastrophic decision to oust Roe v Wade has caused chaos on the ground, leaving Arizona residents scrambling to see if they can get the abortion care they need. .”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Arizona attorney general’s office said the ruling was “based on an interpretation of Arizona law that our office disagrees with and we are carefully reviewing our next steps.” .
As in many states, the legality of abortion still not clear in Arizona, where the attorney general announced a pre-1901 ban on all enforceable abortions following the fall of Roe v Wade.
Abortion providers have largely halted operations for fear of punishment under that ban, which at least one jurisdiction in the state, populous Pima County, has blocked.
Meanwhile, a ban on abortions after 15 weeks, before many women know they are pregnant, will go into effect in Arizona later this year.
Monday’s ruling came as a Utah judge asked Planned Parenthood to delay implementation of the state’s so-called activation law, passed before Roe v Wade was ousted and established to ban most abortions in the state.
The Reproductive Rights Research Group, the Guttmacher Institute, labeled 26 states as “likely or certain” to ban all or most abortions following the fall of Roe v Wade.
Courts in at least four states – Idaho, Utah, Kentucky and Michigan – have Temporarily blocked bans are implemented.
As of Tuesday, at least 10 states had enforced bans on most abortions, according to an inventory by the New York Times.
Last week, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order seeking to reduce some barriers for those seeking abortions, although he says his powers are still limited on the issue.
