Utah Supreme Court continues to block state law banning elective abortions
This does not put an end to the litigation

Published: Aug 1, 2024, at 7:58 a.m.
By Hanna Seariac
Hanna is a reporter for the Deseret News where she covers courts, crime, policy and faith.

Utah still cannot enforce its law prohibiting abortions except in cases of rape, incest or health, according to a recent court ruling.

The ruling was handed down by the Utah Supreme Court on Thursday. The legal battle will continue even though the law will still be blocked from going into effect. The question of whether or not the law itself is constitutional will continue as the lawsuit plays out in lower courts. It also means abortion remains legal in Utah for up to 18 weeks into a pregnancy for the time being. Once the ultimate constitutionality of Utah’s abortion law is determined, that could change.

The case in question, Planned Parenthood Association of Utah v. State of Utah, arose after the United States Supreme Court overturned the precedent set by Roe v. Wade. Abortion was sent back down to the states as a result of the decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

It was a 4-1 decision with Chief Justice Matthew Durrant as the lone dissent. … The opinion of the court upheld a decision from a lower court to block the law. The court said Planned Parenthood Association of Utah presented serious issues with the law to prove its standing.

{snip}