That is the title of this recent essay by John Finnis in the April 2021 issue of First Things. Here is his concluding paragraph in support of constitutional personhood and the unconstitutionality of laws permitting abortion: “A break in the nearly half-century silence on the Court about all these matters would enhance respect for law, […]
Author: Richard Myers
Richard S. Myers, the Vice-President of UFL, is Professor of Law at Ave Maria School of Law, where he teaches Antitrust, Civil Procedure, Conflict of Laws, Constitutional Law, and Religious Freedom. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Kenyon College and earned his law degree at Notre Dame, where he won the law school's highest academic prize. He began his legal career by clerking for Judge John F. Kilkenny of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Professor Myers also worked for Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue in Washington, D.C. He taught at Case Western Reserve University School of Law and the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law before joining the Ave Maria faculty. He is a co-editor of St. Thomas Aquinas and the Natural Law Tradition: Contemporary Perspectives (Catholic University of American Press, 2004) and a co-editor of Encyclopedia of Catholic Social Thought, Social Science, and Social Policy (Scarecrow Press, 2007). He has also published extensively on constitutional law in law reviews and also testified before Congressional and state legislative hearings on life issues.
Married to Mollie Murphy, who is also on the faculty at Ave Maria School of Law, they are the proud parents of six children - Michael, Patrick, Clare, Kathleen, Matthew, and Andrew. http://www.avemarialaw.edu/index.cfm?event=faculty.bio&pid=11705E7D4E0111010366
Here is a link to a divided opinion of the Seventh Circuit affirming a lower court ruling enjoining an Indiana law requiring parental notice before a minor may obtain an abortion. In contrast to the views of several federal circuits, the majority did not follow Chief Justice Robert’s concurrence in the June Medical case. Judge […]
Here is story from the Associated Press about the many pro-life laws that have recently been passed by state legislatures. The article also discusses how the courts might respond to suits challenging the constitutionality of these laws.
Here is link to a story in the National Catholic Register describing developments in Arkansas. According to the article: “Governor Asa Hutchinson on March 9 signed Senate Bill 6, also known as the Arkansas Unborn Child Protection Act, which bans abortions except when medically necessary to save the life of the mother. “
Here is a comment from Jeff Koloze about Debbie Garratt’s new book (the book is entitled “Alarmist Gatekeeping: Abortion“): “Abortion activists would appreciate this feminist perspective on the topic, which focuses on deceptive communication strategies, efforts to censor diversity of thought, and ways to empower women considering the abortion choice.”
The US Supreme Court today agreed to hear three cases involving a Department of Health and Human Services rule that prohibits recipients of Title X funds from making elective abortion referrals in Title X clinics and also requires them to maintain physical separation between those clinics and any abortion-related activities. The lower courts have issued […]
Here is link to today’s Sixth Circuit 2-1 decision refusing to grant a stay of a federal district court ruling enjoining provisions of Tennessee law relating to abortion. The Tennessee law imposes waiting periods before a woman can obtain an abortion. Such laws have been regularly upheld by the courts. As the dissent by Judge […]
Here is a link to the latest issue of Pro Vita, University Faculty for Life’s newsletter. The newsletter is edited by Margaret Hughes. The issue notes details about UFL’s 2021 annual meeting/conference. The theme of the conference is “Pro-Life Feminism, the Law, and Women’s Health.” The keynote speakers are Kathleen Mary Raviele, Erika Bachiochi, and […]
Here is a link to a good article by Alexandra DeSanctis on the effort to ban Down-Syndrome abortions. The article describes Governor Kristi Noem’s efforts to promote protective legislation in South Dakota. “God created each of us and endowed all of us with the right to life. This is true for everyone, including those with […]
Here is a link to a good article by Michael Cook describing a recently published study demonstrating flaws in the Belgian practice of euthanasia. The study, by Kasper Raus, Bert Vanderhaegen, and Sigrid Sterckx, was recently published in the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy. Here are some key findings, as summarized by Cook: “Yet the […]