Missouri abortion ban wasn’t about lawmakers imposing religious beliefs, judge says
Summary
Several religious groups filed a case against Missouri enforcing its abortion law because it was said to violate the constitution. They are particularly referring to a section that references God and the right to life. Even though the language appears to be religious, the judge says that belief that life starts at conception isn’t inherently religious. Missouri’s abortion law is that unless there is a medical emergency it is a crime to perform an abortion, with repercussions to women who have these procedures done as well.
Relevance
The legal justification is notable in the Canadian context. Missouri has a very restrictive law on abortion, and even though it seems to be justified because of a religious subculture, legally this law gets its justification elsewhere. The judges on this case articulate that the ban and view on when life starts is not a religious belief. Relating to a Canadian context, this is relevant if abortions can be banned but with secular jurisprudence.
