As an effect of the unanimity of the states in holding unborn children to be persons under criminal, tort, and property law, the text of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment compels federal protection of unborn persons.
The California Supreme Court has recognized a right to abortion and voters explicitly enshrined abortion protections in the state Constitution in 2022. State law protects abortion and shields patients and providers from laws in other states.
Fundamental right in the State Constitution of California. Individuals can obtain an abortion in California, regardless of their age, immigration status, or whether they live inside or outside the state.
Right now, abortion is legal in California until "viability," which is the stage of pregnancy when a fetus has developed enough that it is able to survive outside the uterus with medical help. When it happens depends on how the fetus is developing and can be different for every pregnancy.
Individuals can obtain an abortion in California, regardless of their age, immigration status, or whether they live inside or outside the state.
The state's highest court recognized abortion rights under the California Constitution in 1969, four years before Roe. State law protects the right to personal reproductive decisions. In November 2022, Californians approved Prop 1, which explicitly adds abortion and contraception rights to the state constitution.
The state's highest court recognized abortion rights under the California Constitution in 1969, four years before Roe. State law protects the right to personal reproductive decisions. In November 2022, Californians approved Prop 1, which explicitly adds abortion and contraception rights to the state constitution.
A1: Although the Fourteenth Amendment does not contain the word “privacy” itself, nor does it appear in the rest of the Constitution, U.S. courts have long acknowledged an individual's right to privacy in home and family life. The Supreme Court first recognized a constitutional right to privacy in Griswold v.
In the resulting Supreme Court case, the Court ruled that a woman's decision to have an abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy fell under the right of privacy and thus was protected by the Constitution.
The state's highest court recognized abortion rights under the California Constitution in 1969, four years before Roe. State law protects the right to personal reproductive decisions. In November 2022, Californians approved Prop 1, which explicitly adds abortion and contraception rights to the state constitution.