Planned Parenthood v. Casey

Definition

Planned Parenthood v. Casey was a landmark 1992 Supreme Court case that reaffirmed the constitutional right to abortion established in Roe v. Wade, while also allowing certain restrictions on abortion access. The decision upheld the core holding of Roe but permitted some state regulations of abortion that did not impose an 'undue burden' on a woman's right to choose.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Planned Parenthood v. Casey upheld the central holding of Roe v. Wade that women have a constitutional right to abortion, but allowed for more state regulation of abortion access.
2. The Court established the 'undue burden' standard, which permits states to regulate abortion as long as the regulations do not place a substantial obstacle in the path of a woman seeking an abortion.
3. The decision maintained Roe's framework of fetal viability as the point at which states can begin to regulate abortion with more scrutiny, around 24 weeks of pregnancy.
4. The case was a joint challenge brought by Planned Parenthood affiliates in Pennsylvania against provisions of the Pennsylvania Abortion Control Act, including mandatory waiting periods and parental consent requirements.
5. Planned Parenthood v. Casey was a pivotal decision that reaffirmed the constitutional right to abortion while also allowing for increased state regulation of abortion access.

Review Questions

• Explain how the Planned Parenthood v. Casey decision modified the framework established in Roe v. Wade for regulating abortion access.
  • The Planned Parenthood v. Casey decision reaffirmed the core holding of Roe v. Wade that women have a constitutional right to abortion. However, it established a new legal standard, the 'undue burden' test, which allows states to regulate abortion as long as the regulations do not place a substantial obstacle in the path of a woman seeking an abortion. This gave states more flexibility to enact certain restrictions on abortion access, such as mandatory waiting periods and parental consent requirements, as long as they did not create an undue burden. The decision also maintained Roe's framework of fetal viability as the point at which states can begin to regulate abortion with more scrutiny, around 24 weeks of pregnancy.
• Analyze how the Planned Parenthood v. Casey decision impacted the legal landscape surrounding abortion rights in the United States.
  • The Planned Parenthood v. Casey decision was a significant and complex ruling that had a major impact on the legal landscape of abortion rights in the United States. While it reaffirmed the core holding of Roe v. Wade that women have a constitutional right to abortion, it also allowed for increased state regulation of abortion access through the 'undue burden' standard. This shifted the balance of power between the federal government and the states in regulating abortion, empowering states to enact certain restrictions as long as they did not create a substantial obstacle for women seeking abortions. The decision also maintained the fetal viability framework from Roe, which continued to be an important legal benchmark. Overall, Planned Parenthood v. Casey represented a significant evolution in the Supreme Court's abortion jurisprudence, with lasting implications for the ongoing debate over reproductive rights in the United States.
• Evaluate the long-term significance of the Planned Parenthood v. Casey decision in the context of the Bill of Rights and the Supreme Court's interpretation of individual liberties.
  • The Planned Parenthood v. Casey decision was a pivotal case in the Supreme Court's interpretation of the Bill of Rights and individual liberties, particularly the right to privacy and bodily autonomy. By reaffirming the core holding of Roe v. Wade that the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment protects a woman's right to choose to have an abortion, the Court upheld a fundamental individual liberty that had been recognized as part of the constitutional right to privacy. However, the decision also allowed for increased state regulation of abortion access through the 'undue burden' standard, signaling a shift towards greater deference to state interests in regulating certain aspects of this individual right. This balance between federal protection of individual liberties and state regulatory power has been a recurring theme in the Court's interpretation of the Bill of Rights, and Planned Parenthood v. Casey represents an important data point in that ongoing jurisprudential evolution. The case's long-term significance lies in how it shaped the legal framework for evaluating restrictions on abortion access and how it continues to influence the Court's approach to reconciling individual rights with state interests.

Related terms

Roe v. Wade:

The 1973 Supreme Court case that established a constitutional right to abortion nationwide, finding that the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment provided a fundamental right to privacy that included a woman's decision to have an abortion.

Undue Burden: The legal standard established in Planned Parenthood v. Casey that allows states to regulate abortion as long as the regulations do not place a substantial obstacle in the path of a woman seeking an abortion.

Fetal Viability: The point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb, around 24 weeks of pregnancy, which was established as the point at which states can begin to regulate abortion with more scrutiny in Planned Parenthood v. Casey.