Overturning Roe v Wade: what implications for the UK?

According to a leaked US Supreme Court document, the Court is poised to overturn Roe v Wade – the 1973 decision that legalised abortion across the United States.

Many thousands of pro-lifers and pro-choice people have been demonstrating across the country since the leak, both sides entrenched over the issue which has polarised America for decades. But what would overturning Roe v Wade actually mean, both in the US and in this country?

US outreach group Focus on the Family said: ‘This is an important first step in the effort to relegate the barbarism of abortion to the dustheap of history. Championing the dignity and respect of all life is not radical – it’s the mark and measure of a civilized culture. There is a direct correlation between the legalization of abortion and the coarsening of our culture. Affirming life will provide parents with an opportunity to emphasize what is good, noble, and right. There is nothing more beautiful than a baby. Why deprive the world of their goodness, especially with so many families eager and willing to adopt?