Abortion was fully outlawed in North Dakota in 2023 and deemed a felony for those who perform the procedure with exceptions for serious, physical threats to the mother's health in addition to rape and incest if the woman has been pregnant for less than six weeks.

The North Dakota Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Thursday appealing Judge Bruce Romanick’s ruling on the abortion case.

North Dakota’s solicitor general called on the North Dakota Supreme Court to reinstate an abortion law struck down by a lower court until a final decision in the case is made, arguing that the ban must remain in effect because the state has a compelling interest in protecting unborn life.

The state argued on Thursday that the district court’s ruling was flawed and that the North Dakota Constitution does not guarantee the right to an abortion. They also contended that the ban would not harm anyone as there are currently no abortion providers operating within the state.