US appeals panel strikes down Mississippi abortion law

A federal appeals court panel has ruled that a Mississippi law that would close the state's only abortion clinic is unconstitutional.

The three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued its ruling Tuesday in a case involving the state's 2012 law, which required physicians at the clinic to obtain admitting privileges at a local hospital.

Physicians at Jackson Women's Health Organization applied for the privileges at Jackson-area hospitals but were unable to obtain them.

Attorneys for Mississippi argued that if the clinic closed, women could get abortions in other states.

The appeals court panel ruled that a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 1973 established a constitutional right to abortion. The panel ruled that Mississippi may not shift its obligation for established constitutional rights of its citizens to another state.