WASHINGTON—Following oral arguments today before the U.S. Supreme Court on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, The Heritage Foundation called for the justices to undo the grave error that is the decision in Roe v. Wade.

“Roe v. Wade has poisoned our courts, our culture, and our laws. The Supreme Court now has an opportunity to correct its grave error,” said Heritage President Kevin Roberts, who took office today. “From the moment of conception, every human being has inherent dignity and worth. Women and their children deserve better options than abortion.”

Heritage Foundation senior legal fellow Thomas Jipping and legal fellow Sarah Parshall Perry have argued Roe v. Wade was not only an immoral decision, but a poorly written, logistically flawed, and legally dubious opinion. They noted today:

“In oral arguments today, both sides agreed that ‘half measures’ attempting to change Roe v. Wade would be unacceptable and unworkable. Even the lawyers opposing the Mississippi law failed to defend Roe v. Wade as correctly decided.

“A majority of Americans oppose abortion-on-demand that is allowed by the Roe precedent—their voices should be heard, not silenced by unaccountable judicial activists. Nothing hurts the court’s legitimacy more than a decision like Roe v. Wade that is based on the court’s policy views rather than the U.S. Constitution. The argument today reinforced the need to return abortion policy to state legislatures where, as Mississippi Solicitor General Scott G. Stewart put it, ‘all interests can have full voice.’”

Heritage Foundation policy analyst Melanie Israel, who recently wrote about what Americans should know about the Dobbs case, added:

“Life is our most basic human right, and our laws, at all levels of government, should protect it. Policymakers should pursue policies that are rooted in modern science, acknowledge the humanity of children in the womb, and reflect public sentiment that supports protecting unborn children. But too often, Roe v. Wade’s vague and unworkable framework is a barrier to protecting our most fundamental right. It’s long past time for the Supreme Court to change course and reject Roe so states and the American people can address this country’s outdated and extreme abortion laws.”