Georgia’s Republican Attorney General, Chris Carr, has lodged an appeal against a judge’s decision to overturn the state’s abortion ban. The Attorney General’s office is seeking to have the law reinstated, which prohibits most abortions after the first six weeks of pregnancy, while the Georgia Supreme Court reviews the state’s appeal.
The ruling, made by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney on Monday, declared the ban, in effect since 2022, unconstitutional as it encroached upon women’s rights to liberty and privacy under Georgia’s state constitution. This decision effectively reverted the state’s abortion regulations to a previous law that permitted abortions up to viability, typically around 22 to 24 weeks into a pregnancy.
Following the judge’s decision, some clinic officials in Georgia expressed intentions to resume providing services to patients whose pregnancies have progressed beyond six weeks, with an awareness of the potential swift reimposition of the ban.
In its appeal notice submitted on Tuesday, Carr’s office highlighted that the case directly involves a challenge to the constitutionality of a state law, warranting immediate consideration by Georgia’s highest court.
With the judge’s ruling, Georgia joins the ranks of 13 other US states with no restrictions on abortion at any stage of pregnancy, and three states prohibiting abortions after the initial six weeks of pregnancy.
The legal battle over Georgia’s abortion ban continues to unfold, with significant implications for reproductive rights in the state. Stay tuned for further developments on this contentious issue.