United States Supreme Court overturns Roe v Wade

United States Supreme Court overturns Roe v Wade, erasing constitutional right to abortion.

The United States Supreme Court has overturned Roe v Wade, the landmark 1973 decision which recognised Americans' constitutional right to abortion and legalised it nationwide, handing a momentous victory to Republicans and religious conservatives who want to limit or ban the procedure.

"The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision," Justice Alito wrote in the ruling.

The Supreme Court in a 1992 ruling called Planned Parenthood of South-Eastern Pennsylvania v Casey reaffirmed abortion rights and prohibited laws imposing an "undue burden" on abortion access.

Former US president Barack Obama slammed the decision by the Supreme Court to throw out the right to abortion in the United States on Friday, calling it an attack on "essential freedoms.".