Tennessee’s 48-Hour Waiting Period for Abortions Struck Down

A Tennessee law requiring women seeking abortions to wait at least 48 hours between their first visit to a provider and the day a procedure may be performed is unenforceable because it violates the 14th Amendment’s due process clause, the Middle District of Tennessee said Wednesday.

Tennessee’s delay mandate imposes undue burdens on a large fraction of women seeking to end pregnancies before viability that outweigh the law’s claimed benefits, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee said in an opinion by Judge Bernard A. Friedman.

The state claimed the law furthers its interest in protecting human ...