Supreme Court to Tackle Abortion Again After 5 Years.

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear the appeal of a lower-court ruling that struck down a New Hampshire law requiring parental notification when minors have abortions. A federal appeals court called New Hampshire's law unconstitutional because it made no exceptions for health emergencies.

(5-23-05, The Wall Street Journal.)

This is a significant development at this particular time, especially given the high percentage of Americans who favor parental notification.

The Supreme Court accepting its first abortion case in five years was an unexpected development that despite the rather technical questions that the case presents is likely to add even more heat to the already superheated atmosphere surrounding the court and its immediate future.

For an article discussing the technical questions, see this 5-24-05 article in The New York Times.