last piece of this, josh. since we ve been on the, air since we received our reporting, tonight, since you published, we, on my show, have contacted four former clerks for supreme court justices. all of, whom uniformly told us that the document that you published tonight appears to be a legitimate work product of the court, meaning it just matches and, form in style, and texture, that kind of product that they as clerks were used to seeing as a draft majority opinion. that highlights in itself, i think, the unique nature of this reporting that you have done. and this leak. and i wonder if you have any reflection on what it might mean for the credibility of the court, for the legitimacy of the court, for a drafts majority opinion to have made its way into your hands. this is something that is never happened before in the history of the court. and, as a court observer, and somebody who understands how the court fits into our
could lose their legal right to abortion, according to a leaked document from the supreme court. the news website politico says it s seen a draft majority opinion from the judges that roe v. wade, which legalised abortion, was wrong when it was introduced in 1973. that would give individual states the right to restrict or even ban access to abortion. campaigners have already been protesting outside the court building in washington dc. our correspondent richard galpin has the latest. # hey hey, ho ho! # roe v wade has got to go! anti and pro abortion activists taking to the streets here in washington last night. this after a leak indicating legalised abortion could be brought to an end. they are not going to get away with this. let me say that i don t care what i have to do, but they re not going to do this to dc, and they re not going to do this to america. there is more of us
justice john roberts as he left for the day. do you have any comment on the court supreme court s draft opinion being released? do you plan to investigate the leak? as you can see, no comment from the chief justice there. jeremy diamond at the white house, first to jessica schneider outside the supreme court for the substance of what would be a truly historic decision, jessica. reporter: absolutely, john. this would be a monumental and consequential decision if it is ultimately issued by the court here. but also this stunning breach of secrecy. the court never releases even an inkling of what their opinions might be before decision day. so this is very significant. politico reporting that justice samuel alito has written this draft majority opinion, that would completely eliminate the constitutional right to abortion that has existed in this country since 1973, when roe v. wade was issued and subsequent opinion in 1992 planned parenthood versus
the roe v. wade precedent. our understanding is most of the republican colleagues want to go ahead and take down roe v. wade. and that said, we re at the beginning of may and the decision will not likely be published the until the end of june, maybe beginning of july so it is fair to say that it is a situation that is unresolved at this point and i can t promise you that various things may not change between now and late june. josh, in terms of the substance of this opinion as written, again, this draft majority opinion, and with the caveat that this is an historically unprecedented leak of what appears to be a draft majority opinion from the court, before ruling on the issue, with the caveat that you described in terms of whether or not this may go through potential changes and potentially substantial changes before we see the ruling from the court as published later this year, with all of those carve caveats intact, when you look at what justice alito wrote
0 from the beginning, proportion s forces have seen this issue is a question of freedom of an individual s choice. the freedom to have an abortion is now legal in every state. and here we, are 49 years later, more than a lifetime ago for many of us. back in december, justice sonia sotomayor asked this, quote, well this institution survived the stench that this creates in the public perception that the constitution and is reading aren t just political acts? i don t know how it will be possible. and cool. an unprecedented leak involving one of the most divisive issues in this country leaving a nation with many with more questions than answers on this unsettling monday night. but as our guest said, for those of you are watching, who are planning, or have appointments for abortion services tomorrow, another those appointments hold, you are safe as of tonight, nothing s changed. i don t that know wish you all a very good and a very safe night. from all of our colleagues from across the