- United States Supreme Court halts restrictions on abortion pill mifepristone
- Justice Samuel Alito's decision allows the Joe Biden administration to have enough time to prepare a defense
- The situation comes amid rising tensions over lawful access to the drug in the country
The United States Supreme Court has temporarily stopped the restrictions placed on the abortion pill known as mifepristone, allowing the public full "lawful access" to the drug.
Court Justice Samuel Alito was responsible for halting lower court rulings regarding the limits on access to mifepristone. This has allowed the administration of United States President Joe Biden to prepare their defense of the drug amid a challenge by anti-abortion groups.
Supreme Court on Abortion Pill Access
Alito's decision follows the Department of Justice's filing of an emergency request on Friday that urged the justices of the country's highest court to put U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk's ruling on the abortion pill on hold.
The Texas judge's ruling would have resulted in the significant restriction of mifepristone distribution while litigation in the challenge brought by anti-abortion rights groups. The groups argued against the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) regulatory approval process, as per Aljazeera.
In its filing, the Department of Defense said that the resulting disruption from Judge Kacsmaryk's decision would lead to the denial of women's lawful access to a drug deemed safe by the FDA and known as an effective alternative to invasive surgical abortion.
The Texas judge's preliminary junction order would have taken effect at 12:00 a.m. CDT on Saturday but has yet to be put on hold. For some time, the Biden administration has been looking for ways to protect the country's reproduction rights amid growing restrictions enacted by GOP-led states in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.
In New Orleans, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined on Wednesday the Biden administration's request to block similar restrictions on the abortion pill that Kacsmaryk ordered on April 7.
Protecting Women's Reproductive Rights
The restrictions that were supposed to be imposed on mifepristone included banning from receiving the drug by mail as well as shortening the window that the abortion pill can be used under lawful circumstances, from up to 10 weeks down to up to seven weeks of pregnancy, according to BBC.
On top of temporarily halting the restrictions on the drug, Justice Alito requested additional briefing material to be filed by April 18. The abortion pill is known to be used in more than half of all abortions in the United States.
The ongoing debate regarding its safety has caused nationwide ramifications for millions of women and the number of future drug approvals by the FDA. The agency approved the pill over two decades ago as part of a two-drug regimen to induce abortions.
The filing by the Department of Defense was made in coordination with Danco Laboratories, the manufacturer of mifepristone. The department and the drug manufacturer argued that if the restrictions were to take effect, the abortion pill would not be available for several months, said Reuters.
