ABSTRACT

The Federal law vis-a-vis abortions that applies today stems from the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade 410 US 113. According to the Roe decision adopted on January 22, 1973, with a 7 to 2 majority, most laws against abortion violated a constitutional right to privacy under the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment. The most recent poll conducted in July 2008 reported that 63 percent of the respondents support the Roe v. Wade decision and 33 percent oppose it. There were few laws on abortion in the United States at the time of independence, except the common law adopted from England, which held abortion to be legally acceptable if occurring before quickening. On abortion more generally, 19 percent believe abortion should be legal in all cases, 38 percent believe it should be legal in most cases, 24 percent responded that it should be illegal in most cases and 14 percent responded it should be illegal in all cases.