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New Jersey High Court Strikes Down Restrictive Abortion Law

The New Jersey Supreme Court struck down a state law requiring women under the age of 18 to notify their parents before terminating a pregnancy. The law required a physician to wait a minimum of 48 hours after a parent received notification before performing an abortion. In a 4-2 ruling, the New Jersey high court concluded that parental rights do not outweigh a young woman’s constitutional right to have an abortion. Chief Justice Deborah Poritz who wrote for the majority said, “A minor’s right to control her reproductive process is among the most fundamental rights she possesses.” The ruling made New Jersey the fifth state to strike down a parental notification law but young women still remain a target of restrictive anti-choice legislation. Forty-two states have laws requiring parental consent or notification before a minor can have an abortion.

Sources:

Reuters - 15 August 2000 and NARAL

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