SC Supreme Court Upholds Six-Week Abortion Ban
The South Carolina Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that the state can continue to enforce its ban on abortions after approximately six weeks of pregnancy.
The court sided with the state in a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood challenging the 2023 “fetal heartbeat” law, specifically addressing the point at which a heartbeat becomes detectable during pregnancy.
The law prohibits abortions “after a fetal heartbeat has been detected,” with exceptions for cases of rape, incest, and fatal fetal anomalies. The Supreme Court heard arguments in February regarding whether the law should be enforced at six or nine weeks of pregnancy.
In its ruling issued on May 14th, the court determined that the law prohibits abortion “when electrical impulses are first detectable as a ‘sound’ with diagnostic medical technology” and when a medical professional observes these impulses as a “steady and repetitive rhythmic contraction of the fetal heart.”
While the court clarified that it defines “fetal heartbeat” as a “biologically identifiable moment in time” rather than a specific number of weeks of pregnancy, it stated that this point typically occurs around six weeks.
Following the ruling, Governor Henry McMaster issued a statement praising the decision as a “decisive victory.” He asserted that the state has consistently defended the right to life and will continue to do so, claiming the ruling will protect countless unborn children and maintain South Carolina’s leadership in defending the sanctity of life.
