US District Judge David H. Coar ruled on Friday to continue the hold on an Illinois parental notification law. The Parental Notice of Abortion Act, which was passed in 1984 and updated in 1995, was never enforced because no rules were established for judges on handling appeals. In 2006, the Illinois Supreme Court issued such rules, but the law remained on hold. Friday’s ruling rejected a request from Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan that the federal court dissolve the order that put the law on hold, according to the Associated Press.
According to Coar, parts of the statute are “contradictory and incomplete,” and it still fails to provide under-aged girls with a practical judicial alternative to notifying their parents, reports the Daily Women’s Health Policy Report.
“We are thrilled with today’s ruling’ In those few instances where a young woman is not able to tell her parents (about an abortion) – because of fear of abuse, neglect or being tossed from the house – that young woman should not be denied essential reproductive health care. Judge Coar’s ruling today continues to protect young women from such harm to their health and well-being,’ said Lorie A. Chaiten, Director of American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois’ Reproductive Rights Project in a statement.
