RoeVWade英文及中文.docx

RoeVWade英文及中文.docx

《RoeVWade英文及中文.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《RoeVWade英文及中文.docx（11页珍藏版）》请在冰点文库上搜索。

RoeVWade英文及中文

Roe-V.Wade英文及中文

D

woman'sbody，werelimitedtothosethatnarrowlyandpreciselypromotedrealmaternalhealthconcerns.Afterthepointofviability，thestatewasfreetobanabortionortakeotherstepstopromoteitsinterestinprotectingfetallife.Evenafterthatpoint，however，thestate'sinterestintheviablefetusmustyieldtothewoman'srighttohaveanabortiontoprotectherhealthandlife.

　　ImmediatelyfollowingtheRoedecision，thosewhodidnotwanttoseewomenparticipateequallyinsocietyweregalvanized.ThefarrightinitiatedapoliticalonslaughtthathasresultedinnumerousstateandfederalabortionrestrictionsandcontributedtoachangedSupremeCourt，ideologicallybentonevisceratingRoe.Therighttochoosebecamethetargetofnotonlythereligiousright，butalsoright-wingpoliticiansandjudgeswhousedtheRoedecisiontoattackthe"judicialactivism"oftheSupremeCourtanditspurportedfailuretoadheretothetextoftheConstitutionandthe"ori

ginalintent"ofitsframers.ThisbacklashreacheditspeakduringthethreetermsofPresidentsReaganandBush.Beginningin1983，theU.S.solicitorgeneralroutinelyurgedtheSupremeCourt，onbehalfofthefederalgovernment，tooverturnRoe.Inaddition，whenappointingSupremeCourtjustices，ReaganandBushusedoppositiontoRoeasalitmustest.Duringthistwelve-yearperiod，fivejustices-O'Connor，Scalia，Kennedy，Souter，andThomas-wereappointed.Notoneofthesefive，whostillconstituteamajorityontheCourttoday，supportsthe"strictscrutiny"standardofreviewestablishedbyRoe.

　　TheDismantlingofRoe

　　ShortlyaftertheRoedecision，statelegislaturesbeganpassinglawsinhopesofcreatingexceptionstoitoropeningupareasoflawthatRoedidnotdirectlyaddress.Nootherrighthasbeenfrontallyattackedandsosuccessfullyundermined，andallinthecourseoftwodecades——thesametwodecadesthatsustainedadvancesinotherareasofwomen'srights，includingeducationandemployment.

　　Teenagerswerethefirstsuccessfultarget.In1979theCourtendorsedstatelawsthatrequiredparentalconsent，aslongastheywereaccompaniedbyacomplicatedsystemwherebyminorscouldasserttheirprivacyrightsbyrequestingahearingbeforeastatejudgeonwhethertheywere"mature"oranabortionwasintheirbestinterests（Bellottiv.Baird）。

　　ThenextassaultonRoewasdirectedatlow-incomewomen.In1980theHydeAmendment，whichprohibitedMedicaidfromcoveringmostabortions，wasupheldbytheSupremeCourtbya5-4margin（Harrisv.McRae）。

TheCourtabandonedtheneutralityrequiredinRoe，findingthat，forpoorwomen，governmentcouldpromotechildbearingoverabortion，solongasitdidsobymanipulatingwomenthroughpublicfundingschemes，notcriminallaws.

　　DissentinginCityofAkronv.AkronCenterforReproductiveHealth（1983），JusticeO'ConnorcalledforaradicalerosionofRoeandproposedthatalesserstandardofconstitutionalprotectionforchoicebeestablished，calledthe"undueburden"standard，inplaceofthe"strictscrutiny"test.By1989，afterthearrivalofJusticesKennedyandScaliaandtheelevationofWilliamRehnquisttochiefjustice，therewerenolongerfivevotestopreservereproductivechoiceasafundamentalconstitutionalright.TheCourt'srulinginWebsterv.ReproductiveHealthServices（1989）demonstratedthisnewrealitywhenfivejusticesexpressedhostilitytowardRoeindifferingdegreesandessentiallycalledforstatestopasslegislationbanningabortioninordertotestthelaw.

　　Threeyearslater，inCasey，thestrictjudicialscrutinyestablishedinRoewasfinallyabandonedinapluralityopinionofJusticesO'Connor，KennedyandSouter.AlthoughtheCourtsaiditwasnotoverturningRoe'scentralpremisethatabortionisafundamentalright，theCaseydecisionreplacedtheoriginal"strictscrutiny"standardgoverningotherfundamentalrightsfortheweakandconfusingundueburdenstandard.Thisopenedthedoortoahostofstateandfederalcriminalrestrictionsdesignedtosteerwomenawayfromabortionandtopromotetherightsofthefetusthroughoutpregnancy.Over300criminalabortionrestrictionshavebeenenactedbylegislaturesinthepastsixyearsalone，noneofwhichwouldhavebeenconstitutionalundertheoriginalRoedecision.

　　TheFourPillarsofRoe

　　TheRoeopinionwasgroundedonfourconstitutionalpillars：

（1）thedecisiontohaveanabortionwasaccordedthehighestlevelofconstitutionalprotectionlikeanyotherfundamentalconstitutionalright；

（2）thegovernmenthadtostayneutral；legislaturescouldnotenactlawsthatpushedwomentomakeonedecisionoranother；（3）intheperiodbeforethefetusisviable，thegovernmentmayrestrictabortiononlytoprotectawoman'shealth；（4）afterviability，thegovernmentmayprohi

bitabortion，butlawsmustmakeexceptionsthatpermitabortionwhennecessarytoprotectawoman'shealthorlife.

　　OnlytwoofthefourRoepillarsremaintodayasaresultoftheSupremeCourt's1992decisioninPlannedParenthoodofSoutheasternPennsylvaniav.Casey.Thisdecisionistheculminationofasteadydeclineinconstitutionalprotectionfortherighttoprivacy.Awoman'srighttochooseisstillconstitutionallyprotected，however，the"strictscrutiny"standardwasjettisonedinfavorofalesserstandardofprotectionforreproductivechoicecalled"undueburden."UnderCasey，stateandlocallawsthatfavorfetalrightsandburdenawoman'schoicetohaveabortionarepermitted，solongastheburdenisnot"undue."Nolongerdoesthestatehavetobeneutralinthechoiceofabortionorchildbearing.Nowthegovernmentisfreetopasslawsrestrictingabortionbasedon"morality，"acodewordforreligiousanti-abortionviews.Statesarenowpermittedtodisfavorabortionandpunishwomenseekingabortions，eventhosewhoareyoungandsick，withharassinglaws.

　　Roeinthe21stCentury

　　In2000，eightyearsaftertheCaseydecision，theCourtagreedtohearanothercasethatopenedupRoeforreexamination.Duringthatperiod，PresidentClintonhadappointedtwojustices，GinsburgandBreyer.ThefirstchallengetoRoeinthe21stcenturycameintheformofaNebraskabanonso-called"partial-birthabortion"broughtbytheCenterforReproductiveLawandPolicy.ThelanguageoftheNebraskaban——andthecookie-cutterversionspassedin30states——wassweepingandbroad，andcouldhaveincludedvirtuallyallabortionprocedures，eventhoseusedintheearlyweeksofpregnancy.Publicly，however，supportersofthesebanscamouflagedthisfactbyusingatermmadeupbytheNationalRight-to-Life

Committee——"partial-birthabortion"——andpretendingthatthebansweredesignedtopreventdoctorsfromusingoneparticularprocedure.

　　Ina5-4voteinthecaseStenbergv.Carhart（2000），theCourtstruckdowntheban，findingitanunconstitutionalviolationofRoeandCaseybyfailingtoincludeanexceptiontopreservethehealthofthewomanandbyimposinganundueburdenonawoman'sabilitytochooseanabortion.

　　Inaddition，theCourtdeterminedthattheeffectofthebanwentwellbeyondprohibitionsagainstso-called"lateterm"abortion，findingthebantobesobroadandvaguethatconstitutionallyprotectedabortionproceduresperformedbeforeviabilitycouldbeprohibited.Themajoritydecisionwasjoinedbyfourjustices，withfourseparatedissentingopinionsfiledbyChiefJusticeRehnquistandJusticesScalia，ThomasandKennedy.KennedypreviouslyhadsupportedtherighttochooseabortionintheCaseydecision.

　　The5-4voteinStenbergisanominoussignforRoe'sfuture.TheSupremeCourtisonlyonevoteawayfromoverturningRoe，whichwouldbeoneofthemostradicalactionstakeninthehistoryoftheCourt.WithoutRoe，lifeforAmericanwomenwouldbethrownmorethan30yearsinreverse，returningthemtothedayswhenwomencouldnotfullycontrolthenumberandspacingoftheirchildren.Withouttheabilitytomakethiskeydecision，womenwillbedeniedopportunitiestorealizetheirfutureandtakeadvantageofeducationalandcareeropportunities.

　　TheworldislookingtotheU.S.toestablishavisionofjusticeforthe21stcentury.Itisnotatimeforourpoliticalleaderstodividethisnationbyturningtheclockbackonwomen'shumanrights.

　　1WillardCates，Jr.，andRobertW.Rochat，IllegalAbortionsintheUnitedStates：

1972-74，8Fam.Plan.Persp.86，92（1976）（footnoteomitted）。

　　2SeeLawrenceLader，Abortion3（1966）；Cates&Rochat，supra，at86-92；seealsoNancyBinkin，JulianGoldandWillardCates，Jr.，IllegalAbortionDeathsintheUnitedStates：

WhyAreTheySti

llOccuring？

14Fam.Plan.Persp.163，166（1982）（Roeresultedinadramaticdeclineindeathsduetoillegalabortion）。

　　JanetBenshoofisoneofthenation'sforemostexpertsonreproductiverightsandprivacylaw，andhasbeenadvocatingforwomen'shealthandequalityforovertwentyyears.BenshoofisthefounderandpresidentoftheCenterforReproductiveLawandPolicy，alegaladvocacyorganizationdedicatedtoadvancingandprotectingwomen'sreproductiverightsworldwide.

　　In2000，TheNationalLawJournallistedBenshoofasoneofthe"100MostInfluentialLawyersinAmerica"，anhonorshehasreceivedseveraltimes.In1998，thatsamepublicationrecognizedBenshoofasoneofthe"50MostInfluentialWomenLawyers"intheUnitedStates.In1992，BenshoofreceivedtheprestigiousMacArthurFoundationfellowshipinrecognitionofhercontributiontowomen'sreproductivefreedom.BenshoofreceivedherjurisdoctorfromHarvardLawSchoolin1972.

　　Roev.Wade案的过去和现在

　　1973年1月22日美国最高法院否决了德克萨斯州刑事堕胎法，判定决定是否生育的权利是一项由美国宪法保证的基本权利。

Roev.Wade案件7：

2的判决对