Lambert v. Wicklund

Before a minor has an abortion in Montana, one of her parents must be notified. A waiver, or “judicial bypass,” of the notification requirement is allowed if the minor can convince a court that notification would not be in her best interests. The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit struck down Montana’s parental notification law as unconstitutional, holding that the judicial bypass did not sufficiently protect the right of minors to have an abortion. Because the Ninth Circuit’s holding is in direct conflict with our precedents, we grant the petition for a writ of certiorari and reverse.

In…