Abortion : the clash between life and liberty : an honors thesis [(HONRS 499)]

Abstract

There is no expressed right to privacy mentioned in the Constitution, yet the Supreme Court ruled in 1973 that there is an inherent, fundamental right to private choices and decisions. Roe v. Wade was the landmark case that brought abortion rights to the attention of the United States people. This thesis will examine the reasoning of the Court in 1973 and the philosophies of the Court that have followed in subsequent cases. Where in the Constitution did the majority Justices find the right to privacy to secure for women the right to terminate a pregnancy?The right to privacy will be analyzed using the Ninth and Fourteenth Amendments in particular. This paper will also examine the course that abortion rights have taken over the last 23 years, and try to predict what the future of Roe might be. This paper will outline the effects of Roe v. Wade paying particular attention to the realization that this impact is still being felt even today.