|
 The law, which went into effect in 2015, required abortion providers
to inform patients of the risks and wait at least 48 hours before
proceeding, "to ensure that a consent for an abortion is truly
informed consent."
In October last year, a district court judge struck down the law,
ruling that the waiting period for abortions placed an
unconstitutional burden on women.
Tennessee then made a request with the Sixth Circuit appeals court
to stay the lower court's order, which was denied, though the appeal
was allowed to proceed.
In its filing with the Supreme Court requesting a stay on the order,
Tennessee said it had sought relief from the appeals court nearly
six weeks ago, but the court has not ruled yet.
"Tennessee has now been unable to enforce its waiting period for
over five months," it said.
[to top of second column] |
"And although fourteen other states have similar waiting-period laws
that generally require two trips to an abortion provider, Tennessee
is the only state in the nation that cannot enforce its law because
of a federal judicial decree," it added.
Defending the law on the waiting period, the state added: "Some
women will choose abortion without making an 'informed and
deliberate' decision ... and some will later come to regret that
irreversible decision."
(Reporting by Aakriti Bhalla, Juby Babu and Shubham Kalia in
Bengaluru; Editing by Karishma Singh)
[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content |
