Griswold v. Connecticut | Women's Link

On June 7, 1965, The Supreme Court of the United States decided on Griswold v. Connecticut, effectively legalizing the use of contraception by married couples. From the article:

"Griswold v. Connecticut

WHY IT MATTERS:
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate (and largely discretionary) appellate jurisdiction over all federal courts and over state court cases involving issues of federal law, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases.
This case is exceptional due to the court’s willingness to openly justify the practice of affording certain un-enumerated rights with full constitutional protection. The court effectively, through finding that penumbras exist within the constitution which recognize other rights not specifically mentioned, established a general right to privacy which was previously unrecognized.

The Supreme Court not only awarded itself a great deal of power but generated intense national debate and led to a number of consequent groundbreaking decisions. Eight years later, the Supreme Court said that the right to privacy also allows unmarried couples to use birth control (Eisenstadt v. Baird, 1972). However, most importantly, the reasoning and philosophy expounded in Griswold paved the way to the finding in Roe v. Wade which legalized abortion in all fifty states, invalidating countless state laws. The Court here clarified that the right to privacy comes from the protection of liberty under the fourteenth amendment, not from penumbras of other amendments.

The Court’s decision has been subjected to heavy criticism, which continues up until this day, for stepping beyond its powers in invalidating the Connecticut law, given that no right to privacy was to be found in the Constitution’s text.

Whilst the basis of the decision was the idea of a right of privacy and considering the divergence in rationale and opinion amongst the judges in the case, it is nevertheless undeniable that the case advances women’s rights in terms of sexual and reproductive liberty and a right to information and treatment concerning reproduction. It was significant in respect to encouraging developments and advancement in this field and is evidence that the Courts are ensuring the law reflects changing societal views and opinions, aiding progression."