Samuel Alito, US Supreme Court judge whose opinion overturned Roe v. Wade, lambasts foreign critics

Justice Samuel Alito, the United States Supreme Court judge whose
majority opinion draft eventually overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade,
lambasted foreign leaders who criticised the Supreme Court judgement during a
speech in Rome. Alito’s speech took place last week but was publicised Thursday
by the Notre Dame Law School. In the speech, Justice Alito took a strong
position for religious freedom and mocked foreign leaders who had criticised
the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Roe v. Wade was a landmark judgement of the US Supreme Court, passed in
1973, that granted federal protections to abortion. The overturning of Roe v.
Wade has allowed states to draft their own laws on abortion. A majority of states
in the US seek to put some restrictions on abortion.

Also Read | Roe v Wade: What the leaked SCOTUS draft said vs the opinion

Justice Alito, who sported a new beard while speaking in Rome, said
religious liberty is under attack in many places because it is dangerous to
those who want to hold “complete power”. “It also probably grows out of
something dark and deep in the human DNA – a tendency to distrust and dislike
people who are not like ourselves,” he said.

During his speech, Alito did not refer to the leak of the draft opinion
bill of the US Supreme Court on overturning Roe v. Wade, but instead, expressed
disapproval at foreign leaders criticising a US judgment. “I had the honour
this term of writing I think the only Supreme Court decision in the history of
the institution that has been lambasted by a whole string of foreign leaders,”
said Alito.

Also Read | Roe v Wade: What is in the leaked SCOTUS opinion draft?

Justice
Alito’s speech made note of former United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s
criticism of the judgement. “He paid the price,” Alito said to laughter and
applause. Alito was also critical of French President Emmanuel Macron and
Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, for their comments criticising the
opinion.