Samuel Alito: the abrasive justice taking abortion rights back to the 17th century

The man who wrote the draft supreme court opinion overturning Roe v Wade is known for his quick temper and ‘traditional’ values

For a member of one of the most august and venerable institutions in American public life, Samuel Alito has provoked an astonishing outpouring of jarring adjectives this week. “Appalling and heinous” – Vanity Fair; “acidic and extreme” – Slate; “dreadful and repugnant” – the Washington Post; “scathing and dismissive” – Los Angeles Times.

The strong words were directed at the draft ruling written by Alito and leaked to Politico that, barring a possible but unlikely change of heart by any of Alito’s conservative peers on the US supreme court, will eviscerate federal abortion rights in America.