According to the Washington Post, the US state of Oklahoma has introduced the country’s strictest abortion law. There are hardly any exceptions. What legal options do women still have?
Almost all abortions will be banned in the US state of Oklahoma. Governor Kevin Stitt signed legislation banning almost all abortions from the time of conception, with a few exceptions.
Only a few exceptions apply. The law is the strictest ban in the country, wrote the Washington Post.
The model is a highly controversial regulation from the state of Texas. This stipulates that the regulation will not be enforced under criminal law, but under civil law. The law allows private individuals to take action against clinics that perform abortions, for example. This legal trick also makes it particularly difficult to challenge the law in court. According to a landmark ruling by the US Supreme Court in 1973, abortions are actually allowed until the fetus is viable – today around the 24th week of pregnancy.
With the detour under civil law, the right to an abortion is undermined. Oklahoma law provides exceptions when an abortion is necessary to save the mother’s life or in cases of rape or incest. The governor had signed several laws in the past week that have led to drastic tightening of abortion regulations in the state.
