US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has cancelled a public appearance in the wake of the leak of his draft decision that would overturn Roe v Wade, a report says.
The leaked opinion has sparked controversy as it appears that conservative bloc of the high court is set to end the right to abortion nationwide.
Justice Alito, 72, had been set to appear at the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals’ judicial conference, according to Reuters.
Mr Alito is the justice assigned to hear emergency appeals from the 5th Circuit, which includes the New Orleans-based federal appeals court and district courts in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.
Patricia McCabe, a spokesperson for the Supreme Court, confirmed to the news organisation that Mr Alito was not attending but did not give a reason for the absence.
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Mr Alito authored the leaked document, which said that “Roe was egregiously wrong from the start,” according to Politico.
Chief Justice John Roberts later confirmed the authenticity of the document and opened an investigation into the leak, calling it a “betrayal”.
Mr Roberts and Justice Clarence Thomas were due to speak on Thursday and Friday at the 11th Circuit ’s judicial conference in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Meanwhile, a ring of steel has been erected around the Supreme Court in Washington DC, as police in the city brace themselves for further protests at the court’s conservative majority decision.
Protesters have gathered at the courthouse each night since Mr Alito’s draft memo revealing that the court could overturn the landmark case.