US: Florida Judges Block Youth Abortion Access

(Miami) – Judges in the US state of Florida often deny people under age 18 their right to access abortion care, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The state’s harmful law forcing anyone under 18 to obtain parental consent for an abortion pushes young people without a supportive parent or guardian to seek a judicial waiver through a burdensome, potentially traumatizing, and highly arbitrary court process called “judicial bypass.”
The 39-page report, “Access Denied: How Florida Judges Obstruct Young People’s Ability to Obtain Abortion Care,” documents how in Florida many judges deny young people’s petitions, forcing them to continue a pregnancy against their wishes, travel outside the state, or seek a way to manage abortion outside the health system. Judges have the power to make highly subjective determinations about a young person’s maturity and interests. Vague criteria in state law enable highly arbitrary decision-making, with judges making decisions based on factors such as the young person’s grades and impressions of their demeanor during a nerve-wracking hearing.