OTTAWA – It’s been 25 years to the day since the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that legal restrictions on abortion violated a woman’s charter rights.

In many ways, it feels like it was just yesterday.

The question, which pits the rights of a woman against those of her unborn child, is as polarizing as it was in 1988, when five of the seven high court judges involved declared Canada’s Criminal Code provisions restricting access to abortion a violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Abortion rights advocates across the country are planning modest celebrations to mark today’s anniversary. On the other hand, those long opposed to the decision known as R. vs. Morgentaler consider it a sombre occasion — one that reaffirms their resolve to one day see the ruling overturned. Continue…