U.S. Court Rules Abortion Pill Restrictions ‘Unlawful’
The ruling adds to legal setbacks for the Trump administration as courts weigh limits on federal restrictions affecting abortion-related aid overseas.
- On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Robert Ballou ruled the Food and Drug Administration acted without sufficient justification when imposing 2023 restrictions on mifepristone, ordering the agency to reconsider the rules.
- The Center for Reproductive Rights filed this lawsuit in 2023, challenging the Food and Drug Administration's Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy that required special certification for pharmacies and doctors prescribing the medication.
- Judge Ballou deemed the restrictions "arbitrary and capricious," noting the Food and Drug Administration has "steadfastly found, over the past quarter century, that mifepristone is a safe and effective medication."
- Nancy Northup, CEO at the Center for Reproductive Rights, called the decision "a win for science," adding that mifepristone is being "increasingly targeted for political reasons."
- A separate case in the Fifth Circuit addresses Louisiana's request to reinstate prior restrictions on mail-order access, while the broader issue may eventually return to the Supreme Court.
13 Articles
13 Articles
US court rules abortion pill restrictions 'unlawful'
The case was brought by the nonprofit Center for Reproductive Rights in May 2023 on behalf of abortion providers across Virginia, Kansas, and Montana. At stake were a set of rules called Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS). One forces prescribers to register with the manufacturer -- creating a national abortion provider database that advocates say could pose a safety risk for doctors. Another requires pharmacies to be specially certi…
U.S. court rules abortion pill restrictions ‘unlawful’
In his ruling, entered Thursday but widely publicized on Friday, Judge Robert S. Ballou wrote that the new restrictions were “arbitrary and capricious” because “the FDA has steadfastly found, over the past quarter century, that mifepristone is a safe and effective medication.”
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