A three-judge panel on Thursday ruled that Tennessee doctors who provide emergency abortions to protect the life of the mother cannot have their medical licenses revoked or face other disciplinary actions while a lawsuit challenging the state’s sweeping abortion ban continues.

The ruling also outlined specific pregnancy-related conditions that would now qualify as “medical necessity exceptions” under the ban, which currently does not include exceptions for fetal anomalies or for victims of rape or incest.

“This lack of clarity is evidenced by the confusion and lack of consensus within the Tennessee medical community on the circumstances requiring necessary health- and life-saving abortion care,” the ruling stated. “The evidence presented underscores how serious, difficult, and complex these issues are and raises significant questions as to whether the medical necessity exception is sufficiently narrow to serve a compelling state interest.”

    • LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      17 days ago

      The problem with that is judges don’t decide anything based on morality, only by what is written. If the legislature wrote every third child must go on a quest and throw themself into the pits of Mordor, and a set of parents came to court to argue that their second child died at age 2, so this isnt their third child, the judge doesn’t say “yo this whole thing is stupid” they say, “kid, take a leap”