A US court has temporarily stopped the extremely strict abortion law in the state of Texas. From the moment the law came into force, women were illegally prevented from exercising control over their lives, the decision said on Wednesday evening (local time). The court will not allow “this insulting deprivation of such an important right” for another day. The decision is a huge victory for the US government that sued Texas over the law. However, this success could be short-lived.
The so-called Heartbeat Act, which bans most abortions, has been in force in Texas since the beginning of September. It prohibits abortion once the fetus’s heartbeat has been determined. This can be the case as early as the sixth week of pregnancy. Many women do not yet know that they are pregnant at this point. What is unusual about the regulation is that it enables private individuals to take civil action against anyone who helps a woman with an abortion.
The regulation allows lawsuits against a wide range of people – from the taxi driver who drives a woman to the clinic, to parents who financially support their daughter with an abortion. The US Department of Justice spoke of “bounty hunters” and called the law “clearly unconstitutional”. It was not until the weekend that thousands again demonstrated in the United States for the right to abortion.
However, it can be assumed that the Republican government of the state of Texas will challenge the current decision of the court. In theory, clinics can now again perform abortions that were prohibited by law. However, they must continue to fear being sued if a higher court overturns the decision. Some clinics are likely to continue to wait for final legal clarification in order not to take any risks.