By Brendan Pierson
(Reuters) – A North Dakota state court judge on Thursday overturned the state’s ban on most abortions, clearing the way for abortion to become legal in the Midwestern state for the first time in more than a year.
Judge Bruce Romanick found that the state constitution protects women’s right to an abortion before the fetus is viable, siding with abortion providers challenging the ban. The order will take effect within 14 days.
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, a Republican, signed the law in April 2023. It makes it a felony for doctors to perform abortions, with exceptions including saving the life of the mother or in cases where her health is at serious risk.
It also makes an exception for rape and incest victims, but only during the first six weeks of pregnancy.
(Reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Franklin Paul and Jonathan Oatis)
Comments