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Den aborträttsliga utvecklingen i USA i relation till den aborträttsliga argumentationen i samhällsdebatten

Tengqvist, Alva LU (2024) LAGF03 20242
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract (Swedish)
Uppsatsen redogör för den aborträttsliga utvecklingen i USA mot bakgrund
av tre rättsfall från Högsta domstolen i USA, närmare bestämt Roe v. Wade
(Roe), Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey (Casey)
och Dobbs v. Jackson Women Health organization (Dobbs). I Roe etablerades
1973 en rätt för kvinnor att, med grund i det fjortonde tillägget till konstitutionen, göra abort fram till tidpunkten för fostrets livsduglighet. Casey kom
1992 att bekräfta den centrala innebörden av Roe, men rättsfallet resulterade
också i ett försvagat skydd av aborträtten då ”the Undue Burden Test” ersatte
det system med trimestrar som ställts upp i Roe. Därfter kom Dobbs 2022,
vari Högsta domstolen ogiltigförklarade Roe och Casey med... (More)
Uppsatsen redogör för den aborträttsliga utvecklingen i USA mot bakgrund
av tre rättsfall från Högsta domstolen i USA, närmare bestämt Roe v. Wade
(Roe), Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey (Casey)
och Dobbs v. Jackson Women Health organization (Dobbs). I Roe etablerades
1973 en rätt för kvinnor att, med grund i det fjortonde tillägget till konstitutionen, göra abort fram till tidpunkten för fostrets livsduglighet. Casey kom
1992 att bekräfta den centrala innebörden av Roe, men rättsfallet resulterade
också i ett försvagat skydd av aborträtten då ”the Undue Burden Test” ersatte
det system med trimestrar som ställts upp i Roe. Därfter kom Dobbs 2022,
vari Högsta domstolen ogiltigförklarade Roe och Casey med hänvisning till
att aborträtten saknade grund i konstitutionen och nationens rättshistoriska
tradition. Högsta domstolen konstaterade också att abortfrågans kompetens
tillhör lagstiftaren, inte domstolen. Detta resulterade i att jurisdiktionen att
reglera abortfrågan lämnades till lagstiftaren på delstatsnivå och demokratiska processer.
Utöver detta, återger uppsatsen också den historiska utvecklingen av aborträttsrörelsen och den argumentation abortförespråkare respektive abortmotståndare förde under tiden upp till Roe 1972 och fram till Dobbs 2022. Denna
utveckling ställs i relation till den aborträttsliga utvecklingen och det beaktas
huruvida aborträttsrörelsens argumentation har fått genomslag i rättsfallen.
Tidiga argument som fördes innan Roe för en liberalisering av aborträtten
berörde läkarens autonomi. Parallellt existerade ett stort motstånd mot abort
från den katolska kyrkan, vilka drev frågan om fostrets rätt till liv. Feminismen kom därefter att få ett stort genomslag i debatten med argument kring
kvinnans kroppsliga autonomi och kontroll över den reproduktiva hälsan som
något nödvändigt för att kunna delta ekonomiskt och socialt i samhället. De
feministiska idéerna kom inledningsvis att motsättas av abortmotståndare för
att senare inkorporeras i argumentationen mot abort.
Avslutningsvis kommer uppsatsen fram till att det finns vissa likheter mellan
argumentationen från aborträttsrörelsen och Högsta domstolens resonemang,
4
men också skillnader. Det är däremot omöjligt att dra slutsatsen om domstolens resonemang härstammar från resonemanget i abortdebatten, och om domarna skulle ha argumenterat på annat sätt om en annan argumentation hade
förts i abortdebatten. (Less)
Abstract
The essay summarizes the historical evolution of the right to obtain an abortion in the Unites States with respect to three judicial precedents from the
Supreme Court of the United States, specifically Roe v. Wade (Roe), Planned
Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey (Casey) and Dobbs v.
Jackson Women’s Health Organization (Dobbs). In 1973 with Roe, the right
for a woman to terminate her pregnancy till the fetus reaches the point of
viability, which with concern to the medical evolution of the time roughly
coincided with the end of the first trimester, was established. This, with regards the Due Process Clause in the fourteenth amendment of the U.S. Constitution. In 1992, Casey reaffirmed the central holding of Roe but... (More)
The essay summarizes the historical evolution of the right to obtain an abortion in the Unites States with respect to three judicial precedents from the
Supreme Court of the United States, specifically Roe v. Wade (Roe), Planned
Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey (Casey) and Dobbs v.
Jackson Women’s Health Organization (Dobbs). In 1973 with Roe, the right
for a woman to terminate her pregnancy till the fetus reaches the point of
viability, which with concern to the medical evolution of the time roughly
coincided with the end of the first trimester, was established. This, with regards the Due Process Clause in the fourteenth amendment of the U.S. Constitution. In 1992, Casey reaffirmed the central holding of Roe but imposed
the undue burden test which resulted in an undermining of the right to an
abortion established in Roe.
Finally, in 2022, Dobbs overturned the precedent set by Roe and Casey, leaving the jurisdiction of the abortion question to the state level legislator. The
court motivated the overturning by referring to the absence of constitutional
grounds, the lack of deep historical roots and the right for state level legislators to regulate the question through democratic processes.
In addition to this, the essay provides a summary of the historical evolution
of the abortion debate with arguments stemming from the pro-life movement
as well as the pro-abortion side. The influence of the abortion right arguments
in the rulings of the Supreme Court is then analyzed.
The initial arguments, in relation to liberalized abortion legislation, were centered around the autonomy of the doctor performing the abortion. Concurrently, the catholic church constituted a strong party against abortion that advocated for the fetus right to life. Eventually, feminist ideas came to influence
the abortion debate adding arguments focused on the autonomy of the woman
and her ability to control her reproductive life to participate in society. Those
opposed to abortion initially opposed the feminist ideas but later, as it aligned
better with contemporary values, came to incorporate feminist ideas in the
arguments against abortion.
2
Finally, the essay concludes that there are some similarities, as well as differences, between the reasoning of the court and the reasoning of parties in the
abortion debate. It is, however, impossible to conclude whether the reasoning
of the court is derived from the reasoning of the abortion debate and if it
would have taken another shape if a different argumentation had taken place
in the abortion debate. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Tengqvist, Alva LU
supervisor
organization
course
LAGF03 20242
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
aborträtt, USA, Roe v. Wade, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v. Casey, rättshistoria
language
Swedish
id
9179961
date added to LUP
2025-03-20 14:23:42
date last changed
2025-03-20 14:23:42
@misc{9179961,
  abstract     = {{The essay summarizes the historical evolution of the right to obtain an abortion in the Unites States with respect to three judicial precedents from the
Supreme Court of the United States, specifically Roe v. Wade (Roe), Planned
Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey (Casey) and Dobbs v.
Jackson Women’s Health Organization (Dobbs). In 1973 with Roe, the right
for a woman to terminate her pregnancy till the fetus reaches the point of
viability, which with concern to the medical evolution of the time roughly
coincided with the end of the first trimester, was established. This, with regards the Due Process Clause in the fourteenth amendment of the U.S. Constitution. In 1992, Casey reaffirmed the central holding of Roe but imposed
the undue burden test which resulted in an undermining of the right to an
abortion established in Roe.
Finally, in 2022, Dobbs overturned the precedent set by Roe and Casey, leaving the jurisdiction of the abortion question to the state level legislator. The
court motivated the overturning by referring to the absence of constitutional
grounds, the lack of deep historical roots and the right for state level legislators to regulate the question through democratic processes.
In addition to this, the essay provides a summary of the historical evolution
of the abortion debate with arguments stemming from the pro-life movement
as well as the pro-abortion side. The influence of the abortion right arguments
in the rulings of the Supreme Court is then analyzed.
The initial arguments, in relation to liberalized abortion legislation, were centered around the autonomy of the doctor performing the abortion. Concurrently, the catholic church constituted a strong party against abortion that advocated for the fetus right to life. Eventually, feminist ideas came to influence
the abortion debate adding arguments focused on the autonomy of the woman
and her ability to control her reproductive life to participate in society. Those
opposed to abortion initially opposed the feminist ideas but later, as it aligned
better with contemporary values, came to incorporate feminist ideas in the
arguments against abortion.
2
Finally, the essay concludes that there are some similarities, as well as differences, between the reasoning of the court and the reasoning of parties in the
abortion debate. It is, however, impossible to conclude whether the reasoning
of the court is derived from the reasoning of the abortion debate and if it
would have taken another shape if a different argumentation had taken place
in the abortion debate.}},
  author       = {{Tengqvist, Alva}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Den aborträttsliga utvecklingen i USA i relation till den aborträttsliga argumentationen i samhällsdebatten}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}