Reports this morning have suggested that the landmark Roe v Wade ruling in the United States may be overturned by the Supreme Court.

A document labelled “Opinion of the Court” shows a majority of the court’s justices earlier this year threw support behind overturning the 1973 case that legalised abortion across the country.

According to the political news organisation Politico – who published the “leaked document” – the draft opinion shows the court voted to strike down the measure.

However, it is unclear if the draft represents the court’s final word on the matter.

The Associated Press could not immediately confirm the authenticity of the draft Politico posted, which, if verified, marks a shocking revelation of the high court’s secretive deliberation process, particularly before a case is formally decided.

Bournemouth Echo: Roe v Wade was a landmark ruling made in 1973 (PA)Roe v Wade was a landmark ruling made in 1973 (PA)

People in the UK may have heard of the Roe v Wade case previously, but might not know exactly what it is about, so here is all you need to know.

What is Roe v Wade?

Roe v Wade is about the case of Norma McCorvey - known by the legal pseudonym 'Jane Roe' - who became pregnant with her third child in 1969.

She wanted an abortion but this was a problem as she lived in the state of Texas, which banned abortion except in the case if it was needed to save the life of the mother.

McCorvey's attorneys filed a lawsuit on her behalf in U.S. federal court against her local district attorney, Henry Wade, alleging that Texas's abortion laws were unconstitutional.

Her case was heard by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, who ruled in her favour, which was then appealed to the Supreme Court by the state itself.

In the end, the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in favour of McCorvey in January 1973 to protect women's rights to have an abortion, with the caveat that this right is not absolute and must be balanced against governments' interests in protecting women's health and prenatal life.

A balancing test was introduced, with governments not being able to prevent abortions in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Until now, the court has allowed states to regulate but not ban abortion before the point of viability, around 24 weeks.