On Tuesday, March 25, Center for Reproductive Rights attorneys will be at the North Dakota Supreme Court defending a lower court ruling that declared the state’s near-total abortion ban unconstitutional.  

Arguments will be livestreamed on the court’s website starting at 10 a.m. CT/11 a.m. ET and are expected to include both audio and video options.

Watch or listen to the livestream the arguments here. 

According to the September 2024 ruling by the district court, North Dakota’s near-total abortion ban violates the state constitution due to its narrow and vague health and life exceptions and because the ban violates the right to reproductive autonomy.  In his ruling, the judge stated that North Dakota’s constitution “protects a woman’s right to procreative autonomy—including to seek and obtain a pre-viability abortion.”

Case details

Center Attorney: Meetra Mehdizadeh

Case background: Access Independent Health Services, Inc., d/b/a Red River Women’s Clinic v. Drew H. Wrigley

Experts urge court to uphold ruling striking down North Dakota’s abortion ban

Experts in medicine, constitutional law, and self-defense submitted amicus (“friend of the court”) briefs in this case to the North Dakota Supreme Court urging it to uphold the lower court decision declaring the state’s near-total abortion ban unconstitutional.

Read the Amicus Brief here