On Eve of New York City Pride Parade, New York State Bar Association President Is Deeply Concerned About The Erosion of Civil Rights
6.24.2022
Sherry Levin Wallach, president of the New York State Bar Association, issued this statement on the implication of the Supreme Court’s Dobb’s v. Jackson Women’s Health decision:
“As the state’s LGBTQ residents and all who treasure equal rights march in New York City this weekend to celebrate PRIDE month, the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Roe v. Wade has cast a pall over the festivities.
In throwing out the Roe precedent, the court reasoned that the right to an abortion isn’t guaranteed by the Constitution because it is not specifically spelled out. In a concurring opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas went even further, providing a litany of other similarly historic precedents that are in jeopardy – including Obergefell v. Hodges, which established the right for same-sex couples to marry under the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
But Justice Thomas didn’t stop there, arguing the court should reconsider all ‘substantive due process’ precedents. That includes Griswold v. Connecticut, which determined that married couples have the liberty to use contraceptives without government restriction, and Lawrence v. Texas, which declared criminal punishment for sodomy unconstitutional.
This country has changed dramatically since its founding. It is both unrealistic and unthinkable to limit civil rights merely to those specifically stated in the Constitution or its amendments. If this reasoning stands, dozens of rights that Americans cherish will no longer be guaranteed.
The New York State Bar Association has long been a strong supporter of equality and equal protection under the law. Today is a very sad day for equal justice.”
Please see initial statement on the court ruling: https://nysba.org/new-york-state-bar-association-rebukes-u-s-supreme-court-on-abortion-ruling/
About the New York State Bar Association
The New York State Bar Association is the largest voluntary state bar association in the nation. Since 1876, NYSBA has helped shape the development of law, educated, and informed the legal profession and the public, and championed the rights of New Yorkers through advocacy and guidance in our communities.
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