Griswold v. Connecticut and Roe v. Wade are similar Supreme Court cases in that both cases are based on the
A. rights of gay men and lesbian women
B. right of privacy
C. right to an abortion
D. right to freedom from cruel and unusual punishment
E. right of women to equal protection before the law
The Correct answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is B. right of privacy.
Explanation:
Both Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) and Roe v. Wade (1973) are landmark Supreme Court cases that significantly shaped the understanding and scope of the constitutional right to privacy in the United States.
In Griswold v. Connecticut, the Supreme Court addressed a Connecticut law that prohibited the use of contraceptives. The case arose when Estelle Griswold, the Executive Director of the Planned Parenthood League of Connecticut, was convicted for providing contraceptive advice to married couples. The Court ruled that the law was unconstitutional, citing that the Constitution implicitly protects the right to marital privacy. The majority opinion, written by Justice William O. Douglas, emphasized that this right is found in the “penumbras” and “emanations” of other constitutional protections, particularly within the First, Third, Fourth, and Ninth Amendments. This case established the precedent that individuals have a fundamental right to make personal decisions regarding their reproductive health, free from government interference.
Roe v. Wade built upon the right to privacy established in Griswold. In this case, the Supreme Court ruled that a woman has a constitutional right to choose to have an abortion, particularly in the first trimester of pregnancy. The Court determined that the right to privacy, as inferred from the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, extends to a woman’s decision to terminate her pregnancy. The ruling was significant not only in affirming women’s autonomy over their bodies but also in framing the legal discourse around reproductive rights in the context of privacy.
In summary, both cases underscore the importance of the right to privacy in personal decision-making, particularly regarding reproductive choices, thus reinforcing the constitutional foundation that protects individual liberties from governmental intrusion.