Mississippi's pro-life trigger law went into effect after Roe was overturned in the US Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization this July. However, the 1998 Mississippi Supreme Court decision Pro-Choice Mississippi v. Fordice ruled that abortion is a right in the Mississippi constitution based on US Supreme Court precedent at the time.
“We’re in a situation where elective abortions appear to be both statutorily illegal but a constitutional right, according to this 1998 Mississippi Supreme Court opinion,” said Aaron Rice, director of the Mississippi Justice Institute (MJI). MJI is representing AAPLOG in the lawsuit with the assistance of attorney Andy Taggart.
The group of pro-life physicians is concerned about the current state of abortion law in Mississippi because they fear medical institutions and board certification authorities can punish them for refusing to provide abortions or abortion referrals.
