Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson expressed strong criticism of the Supreme Court's decision to avoid a final ruling in an abortion case. Despite not publicly dissenting, Jackson voiced her disapproval of the court's order, which she deemed as too little, too late.
She highlighted the court's previous allowance of Idaho's strict abortion law to remain in effect for months, emphasizing the urgency of addressing the pre-emption issue at hand.
When the Supreme Court initially agreed to hear the case, it had temporarily halted a lower-court order that had allowed federal regulations to stay in place during legal challenges.
In her statement, Jackson emphasized the need for the court to make a definitive decision on the case this term, pointing out the real-world consequences of Idaho's abortion law and the impact of the court's earlier order on women in the state.
She underscored the challenges faced by Idaho physicians who were unable to provide necessary abortion care to their patients, leading to potential health risks and the need for patients to be airlifted out of the state for treatment.
Jackson's concurrence highlighted the gravity of the situation and urged the court to address the issue promptly to prevent further harm to women's health and rights.