美国最高法院否决对有争议的流产手术的禁止 US Supreme Court strikes down ban on controversial abortion procedure 美最高法院准备对堕胎进行"一劳永逸"的裁决 美国最高法院否决对有争议的流产手术的禁止 法新社华盛顿6月28日 严重分裂的美国最高法院星期三做出裁决,州不能禁止有争议的晚期流产手术,这种 手术被批评者们描述为“部分生育”("partial birth")流产。 法官们以5比4做出判决,内布拉斯加州一个禁止这种手术的法律违宪,因为它侵犯 了妇女的权利。 流产的敌人们立即谴责了这个决定,而流产权利维护者欢迎法院拒绝腐蚀高院1973年 一项判决奉为神圣的权利。 “我们懂得问题争议的性质,”Stephen Breyer法官为多数派写道。 “数百万美国人相信,生命从受精开始,因此,流产类似于导致无辜儿童的死亡…(但 是)宪法对妇女选择权利的提供基本保护。” 批评者说,怀孕20个星期后做“部分生育”流产尤其是极其残忍,因为胎儿的颅骨必 须被弄碎,以取出胎儿。 但是,法庭判决,内布拉斯加州法律没有提供例外,以在母亲生命处于危险的状况时 允许流产,因此这个法律违宪。 这个案例可以影响其它州类似的法律,并成为2000年总统竞选的一个问题。 “从现在的10年、15年或20年后,最高法院今天的判决将被引用来证明选择性终止 婴儿、学步的小孩、祖父母和残疾人,”美国生命同盟主席Judie Brown这样说。 Brown说,法院“蔑视了逻辑,忽略了这样的事实,内布拉斯加法律不是关于流产, 而是实在要管制溺婴的行为。” 但是,流产权利支持者说,这项判决是民权的胜利,并声称,内布拉斯加州法律和类 似法律企图对实施一期(三个月)和二期(六个月)流产的医生进行刑事处罚。 “最高法院再次肯定了妇女选择流产和选择最有利于自己健康的方式流产的基本权 利,”伊利诺易州美国人公民自由联盟的Colleen Connell这样说。 “最重要的是,法官们说,通过那些反对得到所有流产服务的人们的言辞,这些法律 宽泛的用词不只是为了取缔一个单个的手术,而是为了限制妇女得到所有流产服务。这个 决定反映了卫生保健对政治和意识形态的胜利。” US Supreme Court strikes down ban on controversial abortion procedure WASHINGTON, June 28 (AFP) - A sharply divided US Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that states cannot ban a controversial late- term abortion procedure described by its critics as "partial birth" abortion. The justices ruled 5-4 that a Nebraska law banning the procedure was unconstitutional because it violates the rights of women. Abortion foes immediately denounced the decision while abortion rights advocates welcomed the court's refusal to erode rights enshrined in a 1973 ruling by the high court. "We understand the controversial nature of the problem," Justice Stephen Breyer wrote for the majority. "Millions of Americans believe that life begins at conception and consequently that an abortion is akin to causing the death of an innocent child ... (but) the constitution offers basic protection to the womans right to choose." Critics say the "partial birth" abortion, performed after the 20th week of pregnancy, is especially heinous because the skull of the fetus must be crushed in order to extract it. But the court ruled that the Nebraska law failed to provide an exception allowing an abortion in cases where the mother's life is in peril, and is thus unconstitutional. The case could affect similar laws in other states and become an issue in the 2000 presidential campaign. "Ten, 15 or 20 years from now, today's Supreme Court decision will be cited to justify the selective termination of infants, toddlers, grandparents and the disabled," said Judie Brown, president of American Life League. Brown said the court "has defied logic by overlooking the fact that the Nebraska statute was not about abortion, but indeed attempted to regulate the act of infanticide." But abortion rights proponents said the ruling was a victory for civil rights, claiming that the Nebraska statute and similar laws would have imposed criminal penalties on physicians who perform both first and second trimester abortions. "The Supreme Court, once again, has affirmed the fundamental right of women both to choose to have an abortion and to do so in a way that is most protective of their health," said Colleen Connell of the the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois. "Most important, the justices saw through the rhetoric of those who oppose all access to abortion services. The broad language of these laws was intended not to outlaw a single procedure, but to limit the availability of all abortion services for women. This decision represents a triumph of health care over politics and ideology." 美最高法院准备对堕胎进行"一劳永逸"的裁决 http://www.sina.com.cn 2000年1月16日 08:42 华声报 美国最高法院周五说,它将首先听取申诉,然后对禁止某种晚期堕胎手术的州法做出 裁决,从而为八年内首次对堕胎 权利进行裁决铺设下台阶。 据"路透社"华盛顿1月14日电,最高法院同意听取内布拉斯加州就它禁止晚期堕胎 手术--批评者称之为"部份 生育流产"--的法律进行的上诉。内布拉斯加州说,自1995年 以来,已经有30个州通过这一法律,它不过是其中的一 例而已。这种手术又称"完全扩取 取胎法"。它从子宫取出胎儿时,先把脚弄出来,然后把工具插入脑颅,先把脑部取出,取 弄 碎头盖骨,再把胎儿全部取出。 最高法院从来未对这种手术是否违宪做出过裁决。这种手术主要用于妇女遇到医疗危 机时进行的晚期流产。 一家联邦上诉法院去年9月做出判决认为内布拉斯加、阿肯色与艾奥瓦州禁止这一手术 的法律违宪。 一个月之后,芝加哥一家上诉法院以5票对4票维持了伊利诺州与威斯康辛州通过的 类似法律,宣布两州可以实施这 一法律。 联邦上诉法院相互冲突的裁决增加了最高法院一劳永逸地对此做出判决的机会。大法 官们将于4月份听取本案的申诉 ,到6月底做出决定。 最高法院上次对堕胎问题做出裁决是在1992年。当时,大法官们以5票对4票重申妇 女有堕胎的基本宪法权利。 联邦国会也通过了类似的禁止晚期堕胎的法律,但参院聚集不起足够的票数,以压倒 克林顿总统的否决。