Judge blocks Georgia's 6-week abortion ban

Abortion protest in Atlanta, Georgia
(Image credit: ELIJAH NOUVELAGE/AFP via Getty Images)

A judge in Georgia has overturned the state's six-week abortion ban. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney wrote in his ruling that the bill was, "plainly unconstitutional when drafted, voted upon, and enacted," The Washington Post reports.

The bill was originally from 2019, however, it took effect in July 2022 following the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade (1973). The law was one of the strictest in the country, completely banning abortion after about six weeks when cardiac activity can be detected, Axios explains. The law did contain exceptions for when the fetus is considered "medically futile" and for rape and incest if a police report is filed and the fetus is younger than 20 weeks.

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Devika Rao, The Week US

 Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.