In a Monday speech to the United Nations, Prince Harry accused the Supreme Court of rolling back “constitutional rights” in reaction to the repeal of Roe v. Wade.
The prince’s statement acknowledged the life of former South African Pres. Nelson Mandela and contrasted his experiences with “the never-ending stream of calamities and devastation” people are presently experiencing across the world.
“This was a devastating year in a devastating decade,” the prince stated. “We’re going through a pandemic that’s ravaging communities all around the world. Climate change is causing devastation on our planet, causing the most vulnerable people to suffer the most. The few using lies and misinformation to harm the many, from the terrible war in Ukraine to the erosion of constitutional rights in America. We are witnessing a worldwide attack on freedom and democracy, which was Mandela’s motivation for his life.”
Harry claims that in the last two decades, global freedom has decreased as a result of the actions of the world’s most powerful people, resulting in Africa suffering from the epidemic, the lengthiest drought in almost half a century because of extreme climate change.
On June 24, the prince referred to the Supreme Court striking down Roe v. Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson and Women’s Health group. The court ruled that any restriction on abortion before the time of fetal viability which is 24 weeks gestation is unconstitutional, returning responsibility for regulating abortions to the states.
The 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade has resulted in the passage of “trigger laws” in thirteen states, which ban abortion unless it is necessary to preserve the mother’s life or health. Several judges have temporarily halted these bans and other limits imposed in states across the nation, according to their state constitutions.
Assc. Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the majority, stated that the Constitution contains no language about abortion and therefore it is not a safe guarded right under any provision. He claimed that any right recognized under the Fourteenth Amendments Due Process Legal Clause must be firmly entrenched in American history and tradition.
“Roe was, from the beginning, horribly flawed. Its logic was extremely flimsy, and the choice has had disastrous repercussions,” Alito added. “And Roe and Casey haven’t brought us any closer to a national settlement on abortion at all.”
The decision allowed the 15-week abortion ban in Mississippi to stay in force, directly going against Roe by prohibiting the terrible procedure before a fetus could survive outside the womb.