1 week ago. Washington D.C., DC, USA

‘Like infidelity’: Justice Clarence Thomas on abortion draft opinion leak

A US Supreme Court draft opinion seeks to overturn Roe v. Wade
Justice Clarence Thomas said the leak turned the Supreme Court into a ‘fragile’ institution
Roe v. Wade guaranteed federal protection for abortion

Justice Clarence Thomas, a George HW Bush-nominated United States Supreme Court judge, said Saturday that the leak of the draft opinion on Roe v. Wade had turned the court into a “fragile institution”, and the leak may have permanently damaged the reputation of the court. He observed that the leak had turned the court into a place “where you look over your shoulder”.

“I do think that what happened at the court is tremendously bad,” the justice, who is said to be conservatively inclined, declared during a discussion at the conference for Black conservatives.

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He added: “I wonder how long we’re going to have these institutions at the rate we’re undermining them and then I wonder why they’re gone or destabilised what we will have as a country and I don’t think the prospects are good if we continue to lose them.”

Justice Thomas’ comments were with regard to the draft opinion leak on Roe v. Wade, a landmark judgement of the US Supreme Court that guaranteed federal protection for women’s right to exercise control over their bodies, including abortion. The US Supreme Court’s draft opinion that leaked showed that the court’s majority opinion was poised to overturn Roe v. Wade.

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Justice Thomas further said a leak of the sort was unimaginable while the opinion was being drafted. “If someone said that one line of one opinion would be leaked by anyone…you would say: ‘That’s impossible. No one would ever do that,’” he said.

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The draft opinion on Roe v. Wade was drafted by Justice Samuel Alito. The opinion stated: “We hold that Roe and Casey must be overturned,” referring to two landmark judgements on abortion.

“It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives,” it said.

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‘Like infidelity’: Justice Clarence Thomas on abortion draft opinion leak

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