Divisions Emerge as South Carolina Top Court Hears Abortion Case

South Carolina’s five supreme court justices Wednesday engaged attorneys in a lively debate over whether the state constitution guarantees a right to abortion beyond the six weeks allowed by a currently blocked state law.

There’s no doubt that the state’s citizens enjoy a right to privacy in the abstract, Justice John W. Kittredge said. But does that right exist as a matter of law under the South Carolina Constitution and, if so, does it encompass a right to abortion, he and the other justices asked attorneys for abortion providers, the state, legislative leaders, and the governor.

The justices came to ...