US appeals court pauses Idaho ruling that protected abortions for women’s health
A US appeals court has paused a ruling that allowed abortions in Idaho when a pregnancy put a woman’s health at serious risk. The decision, made on Friday, 30 October, means the state’s near-total ban can be enforced again while the case continues.
In August, a federal judge had ruled that Idaho’s ban was unconstitutional because it gave doctors no clear exception for patients whose health was in danger. It was the first ruling by a US judge since 2022 to recognise a constitutional right to abortion in some circumstances. The judge later narrowed the order so that it only protected the doctor who brought the case, Dr Stacy Seyb, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals voted 2-1 to pause that ruling while Idaho appeals. The unsigned order said Dr Seyb was unlikely to win the argument that the Constitution protects a right to abortion to save a patient’s health. Judge Kim Wardlaw, writing with Judge Consuelo Callahan, pointed to the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade, which said there is no right to abortion under the Constitution.
Judge Marsha Berzon disagreed. She wrote that the 2022 decision dealt explicitly only with elective abortions, and warned that some women with serious pregnancy complications would, during the appeal, have to continue pregnancies “at serious, permanent risk to their health.” Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador welcomed the pause, while Dr Seyb’s lawyer, Stephanie Toti, called it a temporary setback.
Why it matters
The ruling decides, for now, what doctors in Idaho can do when a patient faces serious harm from a pregnancy. The August order had covered serious medical conditions, including mental health conditions that can raise the risk of self-harm or suicide. Idaho is one of more than a dozen states that have banned nearly all abortions since the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling.
What happens next
The pause stays in place until the Ninth Circuit gives its final ruling on the appeal, which is expected next year after full legal briefing. Until then, the August order cannot be used to protect doctors in Idaho. A separate dispute over emergency hospital care is still unresolved.
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
Sources
- https://wixx.com/2026/10/30/us-court-lifts-ruling-requiring-idaho-to-allow-some-abortions-to-protect-womens-health/ (Reuters, 30 October 2026)
- https://legalvoice.org/federal-appeals-court-pauses-lower-court-ruling-that-allowed-patients-facing-serious-health-risks-to-obtain-abortions-in-idaho/ (Legal Voice, 30 October 2026)
