The U.S. Supreme Court announced Oct. 11 that it will not hear a case that argues that fetuses are entitled to constitutional rights.
The lawsuit, Doe v. McKee, was brought by an anti-abortion group that challenged a 2019 Rhode Island law that codified abortion as a legal right, using the standard laid down in 1973’s Roe v. Wade. The Roe ruling was overturned by the high court June 24.
The anti-abortion group, Catholics for Life, represented two pregnant women who argued that the state’s abortion policy violates the “personhood” of fetuses, reported Religion News Service.
The Rhode Island Supreme Court rejected the lawsuit in May, holding that fetuses lack legal standing. The U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the case brings the matter to a close.
Anti-abortion groups have advocated for “fetal personhood” for years. If the Supreme Court were to adopt the standard, it could mean that abortion would be criminalized nationwide.
